A Glass Cage
by visceraEffect
Summary: The Kishin is coming, he said, and Shinigami-sama was not prepared. The world was not prepared for the new Kishin. But Shibusen was not expecting the Kishin to be a frail girl that popped out of the Egg that floated in front of its doors. Perhaps Fate was tricking them again. Old summary is inside, not accepting OCs!
1. Prologue: Expect the Unexpected!

**A/N:** First Soul Eater fic! Originally this was going to be a crossover with a similar-themed anime with pairs and keeping a calm mind stuff, but I decided against it. This has no correlation with the timeline of the canon manga and instead, deviates far from it in terms of Kishin issues and time (seeing as this is probably taking place in the future).

So excuse any inconsistencies that you may find, thanks! I hope you enjoy the prologue~ I don't own any of these characters, except for my OCs!

FULL SUMMARY: Another Kishin sounds like a terrifying burden to the newest generation. However, the psychic doctor of Shibusen predicts that the Kishin will come very shortly, guarded by a very powerful being. True to the prophecy, they arrive, but it's absolutely impossible. The Kishin takes the form of a small, growth-stunted girl of 11 years old and the all-powerful guardian is a thin, almost sickly teenaged boy. In a last effort, the Shinigami hopes that growing the two in a safe, closed environment will perhaps deter the growth of the Kishin… However, he doesn't account the hordes of witches and corrupted humans that try to taint the innocent soul of the under-developed Kishin.

* * *

It was entirely unexpected.

Not even Shinigami-sama could figure out the mystery.

The head doctor that replaced Stein, named Risket, was also a psychic that, in a session with a student with a broken arm, suddenly convulsed and fell into a vision. In that vision, he saw burning buildings and blood-covered roads, bodies piled one over another as mayhem blossomed like weeds. He saw the madness created by a Kishin if it were to rule.

When he came to, the only thing he remembered was a deep voice proclaiming that _The time has arrived for the new strain of Kishin to emerge. It shall appear in due time, accompanied by a guardian to fuel the madness breeding in this chaotic world._

To say the least, Risket was afraid.

He went straight to Shinigami-sama, obviously leaving the injured student completely confused as to why he suddenly blanked out then ran out of the room, and told the Death God of what he had just witnessed.

Shinigami-sama was dreadfully surprised at the news.

He had dropped his mandolin (shattered it too) and began to make preparations, gathering all his most powerful Meisters and Weapons and Death Scythes, or anyone that could fight. He had to be prepared for the arrival of this strange, new Kishin that the reliable Risket had predicted.

Surely, it would be something terrifying, maybe a tentacle monster or just a big picture of Justin B****, a famous idol circulating Death City.

Shinigami-sama shook his head, and just as he did, a loud explosion rocked the very foundation of Shibusen. Looking out the window at the courtyard, he could clearly see a milky translucent, egg-shaped container. It looked so similar to the First Kishin's container that the Death God nearly fainted.

But he was Death himself and he couldn't, even if he wanted to for dramatic effect.

But the single, vertical eye made Death's spine shiver involuntarily. If his students couldn't kill it, he would have to step in.

However, the Kishin didn't emerge.

At least, what he thought was the Kishin didn't emerge.

The egg-like structure peeled away, steam surrounding the area and obscuring the sight from Shinigami-sama. He didn't hear screams and he didn't see bloody bodies, so he assumed everything was fine. And everything was fine.

What he was looking at was a pair of children, maybe. A small girl, too frail to possibly become a Kishin, barefoot and pale as a newborn spirit. Around her was an older boy, maybe a teenager but maybe a child. He was equally sleeping, unaware of the curious pairs of eyes analyzing him and the girl.

It was nearly impossible for the two to be the fated destruction of the world.

But the nagging feeling in Shinigami-sama's subconscious never faded, and he took that to heart.

They looked peaceful enough. They looked untainted and innocent. Perhaps the new strain of Kishin was pure unless dropped into corrupted lands.

Shinigami-sama knew that Shibusen would surely provide a safe and pure environment so that the Kishin would never be born evil and insane.

So that the world would thrive and not meet the doom that awaited it in Risket's vision.

* * *

Alright! So I'll be needing some OCs for this story to work out, just to involve the readers in this story~

Preferably, I want 6-7 pairs of meister/weapons, 3 main antagonist witches (maybe 1-2 allied witches), and a couple staff members! Greatly appreciated!

There are some rules, like no ridiculously OP Mary Sues/Gary Stus, or some unexplained Sue-woke qualities. They cannot be related to the canon characters, unfortunately. Be warned, as I may tweak your characters to better fit my writing style/make them less weird and fit more into the story.

With that, here are the forms! (You can submit more than one OC!) 8) I will take as either PMs or reviews, but PMs are preferred.

**Meister/Weapon Form:**

**Name:  
Age:  
Gender:  
Sexual Orientation:  
Weapon/Meister:  
If Meister, what other battle skills used besides wielding Weapon/fighting style:  
If Weapon, abilities/skills and Soul Resonance form: (this should be fairly long and descriptive, kthx)**

**Personality: (long and delicious, pls)  
Appearance:  
Standard clothing:  
Formal:  
Sleepwear:  
Swimwear:**

**Past: (long and delicious, pls)**

**Partner Type: (what do they look for in a person?)  
Likes:  
Dislikes:  
Job: (optional)**

**Soul Appearance:**

**Misc. Info:**

**Witch Form:**

**Name:  
Age:  
Gender:  
Sexual Orientation:  
Affiliation with Shibusen: (enemy or ally?)**

**Personality:**

**Appearance:  
Clothing:  
Magic Type: (long and descriptive of attacks, thanks)  
Strategy/Fighting Style:  
Witch Animal:  
Past:**

**Likes:  
Dislikes:**

**Soul Appearance:  
Misc. Info:**

**Staff Form:**

**Name:  
Age:  
Gender:  
Sexual Orientation:  
Type: (Death Scythe, Weapon, Meister, etc.)  
Job: (what are they in Shibusen? Assistant doctor, professor, etc.)  
Personality:**

**Appearance:  
Standard clothing:  
Formal:  
Past:**

**Partner Type:  
Likes:  
Dislikes:  
Soul Appearance:**

**Misc. Info:**

I absolutely love reviews! Gimme, gimme, and hopefully I'll get the next chapters churning out as I receive OCs! :)

-Vis


	2. 1- white and a little unsettling

A/N: Thank you to all that submitted OCs! I am totally pumped for this! It's weird, but I've got most of the plot in place and the character's all sorted out with their pasts and their personalities and all that good stuff! I promise that each OC will have a chapter solely for the purpose of expanding on them as a character and their skills. That's something I plan to do.

I'm also planning on doing some matchmaking~ Guess which pairs I'm gonna shoot Cupid's arrows at ;)

As always, I don't own any of these characters except for my own OCs!

* * *

**.**

**.**

Shinigami-sama had the entire egg shipped up to his office by Risket-portation. The poor doctor felt his back cracking with each step and he could only endure the pain as he waddled his way to his superior's office that, in his opinion, was now too far from the entrance.

Pushing his glasses up and a strand of dark gray hair, the doctor ignored the snicker from one of the professors.

"I'd like to see you lug this thing to Shinigami-sama," Risket growled lowly, but the EAT Class Professor laughed. His hearing was amazing, to say the least.

Kaname Amatsuki, fully geared in his wild-looking goggles and stylish hairstyle in amber brown, laughed and leaned against the wall. "At least I wouldn't look like a turtle doing it," he snickered again, then left Risket for "better things to do."

"There are two kids in here too," the gray-haired doctor sighed, then stared up the last few staircases he needed to climb. "I'm gonna die after this..."

"Risket?" A soft voice floated over his shoulder and he craned his neck, skewing his glasses to the side. A lady, her dark wavy hair hanging over her shoulder, leaned into his vision, her white lab coat partially revealing the dark blue vest underneath. "Amatsuki teasing you again?...I-Is that the Kishin?"

The doctor nodded, almost swinging his glasses off his nose. The woman leaned over with a small smile and adjusted them for him, earning an appreciative smile. "Thanks Iris."

"Wish I could help you, but, you know," she, her face marred with a troubled frown, gestured vaguely at her injured left leg.

"No, no, it's fine," Risket replied hastily, shifting the egg higher on his back. "I-I think I should hurry to Shinigami-sama now. My back's about to give out.."

"You'd better hurry then," Iris offered him an encouraging smile, then began her descent down the stairs slowly, her hand finding purchase and support on the rail. "Good luck."

He would most definitely need it. Risket took another labored step and sighed, making sure not to tilt his head down.

The last thing the doctor needed was for his glasses to slip off his nose and bounce their way to the end of the red staircase.

**xx**

The two kids hadn't even woken up, despite Risket's panting, cursing, and groaning. Still slumbering away, even when Shinigami-sama, after applauding the Head Doctor for his valiant effort in bringing the Kishin, poked their cheeks with his large white hand.

"Hmmmm," the skull mask-wearing God rested his chin on his hand thoughtfully. "How about we electrocute them? That'll wake 'em up for sure!"

The doctor felt a headache coming on.

Gently pushing the Shinigami with his elbow, Risket frowned, "That's inhumane. Maybe give it a couple of hours, then."

The Death God clapped his hands together fiercely, his voice booming, "We are talking about a Kishin, however. Remember that."

Before the doctor could interject, the creaking from the egg interrupted his words. The boy had awakened. His hand raised up to his face, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, wrinkling the tattered white excuse of a shirt he was wearing. Messily cut white hair, pale purple eyes, and white skin, he looked like he could blend in with any light wallpaper flawlessly.

The Death God clapped his hands together fiercely, his voice booming, "We are talking about a Kishin, however. Remember that."

Before the doctor could interject, the creaking from the egg interrupted his words. The boy had awakened. His hand raised up to his face, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, wrinkling the tattered white excuse of a shirt he was wearing. Messily cut white hair, pale purple eyes, and white skin, he looked like he could blend in with any light wallpaper flawlessly.

"Um, hi," Risket began, blinking rapidly. The boy jerked to attention and trained his gaze towards the two that were unconsciously leaning closer to observe him.

"Hi," His voice was soft and quiet, but it felt like it echoed in their ears so the slight lisp in his voice was apparent. A child's voice, but his eyes were untrusting and shielded and not like a child's at all. "Who are you?"

"W-well, I-I, uh, my name is R-Risket and I'm the H-Head Doctor-"

Shinigami-sama clapped a hand on the quivering mess of a man, making him twitch from the pressure of the large white hand. "And I'm Shinigami-sama, headmaster of this glorious school Shibusen! What's your name?"

The doctor shot the persona of the Death God a questioning glance, but quickly turned back to the child in front of him. Purple eyes were staring directly at the poor gray-haired man and the doctor flushed slightly.

"I'm...Art," the boy replied, lowering his eyes to the ground. "She hasn't awakened yet, so don't try to."

"Do you know?" Shinigami-sama changed the subject suddenly, his voice dropping an octave and becoming quieter but at the same time, more dangerous. Risket bent his knees slightly, eyes darting from the small boy to the girl still in the egg, sleeping all her worries away. There was no sense of danger, and yet, he felt so on guard.

Art tilted his head to look at them, his body still facing towards the uninteresting ground. "Doesn't everyone?"

Just then, there was a sharp rap on the door.

"Shinigami-sama?"

The door creaked open and a head of wavy, silver hair poked through with a pair of curious hazel eyes. "Sorry, are you busy with...the-?"

"We're just getting to know each other a little better, Adeline," the Death God waved the girl over. "Where's Wyatt?"

"I swear he was outside, um, I'll go get him-" She turned towards the door, but a blonde teen stumbled in, scratching his head.

"Sorry, sorry! Himi was beating up Itsu again and I didn't know if I should've intervened-"

The sound of cracking alerted all of them and when they trained their eyes to glance at the source of the noise, they realized the egg container had splintered. It was quickly being absorbed by something and when they looked up, they realized that the pieces had been why the girl's clothing was tattered. It was part of her white, ruffled dress.

Bare feet almost floated over the ground as the small girl yawned and blinked her wide, lavender eyes. She didn't look anything like the First Kishin. Thin, stick arms and vulnerable in her innocent expression, the girl was quickly hidden by Art, who stepped in front of her.

"Art?" Long white hair, the same shade as the boy's tilted to the side along with her head. "Who...are they?"

"I don't know," he replied softly.

Adeline's eyes shifted from side to side and Wyatt blinked, staring at the little girl. "I-Is that the K-"

"Shhh!" The silver-haired girl shushed her weapon, shoving a part of him out of the door. "Maybe we should leave them to their business. All we needed to do was ask for some stupid permission for the use of some room so that Amatsuki-sensei could fool around."

"But-!"

The door slammed on their retreating figures and the small girl's eyes followed them out curiously. A newborn child, curious with anything that would move.

Shinigami-sama shifted to the side, his skull mask peering over Art's tiny shoulder and Muse snapped her head to follow the black figure, the same shining interest in her eyes.

"We won't do you any harm if you don't," Risket finally spoke up, inching closer to the two children his hands up in surrender. Shinigami-sama couldn't blatantly turn his face to look at the doctor, but at the same time, he couldn't shoot him a dirty look. However, that was the right move to make, as Muse tugged on Art's ripped sleeve and spoke,

"See, Art, they're nice guys, we can trust them, right? They'll help us make the world a purer place, right?"

Shinigami-sama definitely made a twitch at her words, but he simply extended his large, white hands in what was a friendly handshake The eye marks in his skull mask curved upwards in a grin. "We're here, in Shibusen, to make the world a better place! So if you don't mean to destroy the peace we've attained here, then we won't have any troubles."

The girl nodded and tugged on the boy's sleeve again.

"I...suppose," he scrunched his nose up in apprehension, but nevertheless, stepped forwards to shake Shinigami-sama's hand. It ended up that his entire hand and forearm fit in the God's handshake which made Risket chuckle.

"I'm Muse!" the girl clapped her hands together and smiled widely, running first to Risket to pat his leg in a way she thought was polite, then to Shinigami-sama. The large white hand went to rub her head and she lightly punched his black body before running back to Art's side.

"Art...Art is my…" she looked down and the people present swore she flushed slightly, but Muse continued, "guardian! He makes sure no one comes and hurts me!"

"That was established, yes," Risket straightened out his lab coat and adjusted his glasses. "Well, Shinigami-sama, what are we going to do with them…?"

When Shinigami-sama turned to reply to the doctor, loud yelling was heard from outside the office and both of the adults sighed. Art and Muse merely looked confused and slightly interested in the obvious tussle going on outside.

"Why can't those two just get along?" The headmaster sighed and slapped his hand against his mask. "Also, why did Kaname even think to stick those two together?"

"They did have the highest synchronization rates-"

Before Risket could finish, the side wall of Shinigami-sama's office was blown through, a brunette pointing a finger at a purplette angrily. Her eyebrows were angrily knit together and it was clear by now that she was quite angry with whoever the other girl was.

"I cannot believe you had the _insolence_ to insult **my** mother!_ Echo Blasinger, I refuse to share your silly, pretentious last name_!" The brunette snarled and threw something to the ground, falling in-between the cracks of the rubble. The purple-haired girl only laid there, her arms shaking as she pushed herself up from her sprawled position.

"Even for a bowman, that girl still has one hell of a punch," Echo muttered, cracking her neck as she stood up, then rotating her shoulder, her other hand gripping it tightly. "At least it's not dislocated like last time.. Oh. Hi Shinigami-sama, Doctor, how's it going?" Deep purple eyes fluttered over the two kids staring at her, but didn't comment.

"Not very good, now," Risket heaved a sigh, tension clear in his shoulders. "I'll be off to send the repair report to Sage, then. I'll leave the two to your care?"

Shinigami-sama nodded, and bid the doctor a goodbye with a cheerful wave. "Echo, your father will pay for the damages again? He must be mad at Petra now, for wrecking the school's walls multiple times."

She nodded gravely and moved to step out of the mountain of stone and colored wallpaper and, imitating his Head Doctor, the Death God sighed.

"Wish I had my old room back. Back when no one except for people I wanted to could come in..."

"M-Muse! That's dangerous!" Art's panicked voice brought him back from his daydreams and looked up to see the small girl's legs wiggling in the air.

"I got it!" Muse tumbled backwards with a shriek and Art scrambled over the rocks to see if she was okay. But she was victorious and held up the tiny object that Petra had thrown. It was a small brooch, with an unknown symbol on it, but it was shiny and glinted in the light. The small girl was like a crow with the penchant to find light-reflecting objects.

Art frowned and patted the girl on the head, who in turn grinned widely. "You shouldn't do reckless things like that, Muse," he scolded her lightly and she pouted. "You'll get hurt one day."

She only nodded and jumped off of the rocky mess sheepishly.

"Hey, Shinigami-sama? Where can I find Petra and Echo? I need to return this to them, or else I might keep it forever," she tilted the small brooch in her hand, making it catch the light then reflect it on the walls. It pictured a circular brick wall, with a growing rose in some sort of design that clearly wasn't important to those present, but most likely to one of the two girls earlier.

"I'm sure you can find them in one of the classes right now," the Death God mused. "As of now, you can't go there though. It might be a little dangerous, so let's have you stay here with Art. Make sure not to get too attached to her brooch, it's important to Echo."

Art placed a hand on Muse's shoulder and pushed her towards the small bench next to the desk Shinigami-sama sat behind. His eyes wandered over the piles of paper that littered the brown surface, then snapped back, as if he did something wrong by letting his observances reach the upside-down papers.

The mask-wearing god stood there for just a heartbeat second more, wondering if he was wrong to be so lenient on the two white-haired children.

They seemed so innocent, he was sure that they couldn't do much damage.

But her previous comment rubbed him the wrong way.

_They'll help us make the world a purer place, right?_

He was sure he'd have someone keep an eye on them. Just in case.

**.**

**.**

* * *

A/N: Whew! It might've been a little long and imposing for a first chapter and I apologize if it seemed that way. Although I didn't fit all of the OC's in yet, I promise I'll do it in the next 1-2 chapters! I just didn't want it to be as cluttered as other OC fics are when they try to shove in all the characters at once. After all, no one wants to know all the players at once, right? Just a side note, Risket's not that old, but I suppose the rest of that sentence would be spoiling too much~

Also, since this takes place, maybe 10-20 years after Asura's reappearance, some things have probably changed, so Shinigami-sama might not be as cheerful (maybe probably explained later) and some rooms and classes of Shibusen have been shut down, perhaps to save money...

I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did writing it, and crossing my fingers for some good reviews/constructive criticism. Tell me how you guys thought about this chapter! :)

-Vis


	3. 2- pick your pick, don't make a fit

**A/N**: I actually wrote this pretty quickly, so I apologize for any errors. If you catch any, don't be afraid to review/PM me so I can fix if ASAP! I hate mistakes... (goes to cry in corner) This chapter introduces a lot more of the OCs that were submitted, so it might be a little more crammed. I hope not... Crammed OC stories are the worst.

Review response time! 8D  
To **TheWalkingGnome**: Thanks! I was guessing that Shibusen would go through a little phase of changes, seeing as there have been about 10-13 years of time from the original storyline to my fic. Risket definitely has his own problems, added to technically, being Shinigami-sama's "secretary" of sorts. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

To **Soul and Heart**: It was fun thinking of the changes and looking at it realistically :) Cheerful Shinigami is actually kind of hard for me to write, because honestly, I can't write good joke-humor in my fics. I'm more of a crack-humor person. But, his changes weren't from my inability to write him that way, if that's what you're wondering! Eeeeverything about Risket will be explained later, that's for sure!

To **Original509**: Huzzah! The next chapter is already out and I'm halfway through chapter 3! Actually, do make that list 8) I'm excited too, to share this piece of writing with you guys. About your suggestion...sounds pretty good! All jokes aside, there will definitely be romance, but in like, small ounces. No chapters dedicated on like, steamy kissy scenes. I can write that though ;)

To **PreciousCow**: I am always ready to feed peoples' needs for fanfiction! Muse and Art are supposed to be a little odd, definitely, but don't all characters feel a little Mary-Sue? I think it's pretty impossible to make a character that's literally perfect, cause you all think of them as your children, right? Thanks, and I hope you like this chapter as well!

I don't own anything except my storyline and my own OCs.

* * *

**.**

**.**

A pair of pale hands clapped and a loud voice yelled, "Alright, guys! I know you're eagerly waiting to see who your partners are gonna be, but you guys'll have to quiet down!" Amatsuki tilted his head back to shift his goggles slightly before pasting a goofy smile on his face.

The class, at his announcement, quieted down a little, the badges on their uniforms standing out like sore thumbs.

"That was great, great, now, these little partner sessions will take place in a separate room, so if I hear _any_ loud noises and yelling, you know what I'm gonna do..._right_?" A fiercer hush fell on the class as some quivered in their seats. The normally jokester teacher could definitely bring down a building on their heads when he was serious, so none of them wanted to fool around when his eyes narrowed like that.

With a satisfied smile, Amatsuki leaned over his table and grabbed a clipboard.

"Well then, we'll start with...um, Jones..? ...Er, my bad, John," the brown-haired professor cleared his throat, crossing something out on the paper, and a dark-skinned boy stood up, his hands in his pockets. "Weapons, please form a line to Akatsuki's room here," he gestured to where his twin's room was and quickly disappeared out the door, his dark coat fluttering in the breeze he left behind. John followed silently, throwing a quick glance back at the meisters still sitting around, unsure of whether or not to mingle and chatter.

A single-file line of weapons stood at attention, some of them slouching but others prim and proper. John's brown eyes roved the group curiously and his eyes trained on a white-haired girl, barely shorter than him, maybe by an inch, but with long, white hair pulled into a ponytail. Her Asian features and straight back seemed off from the others and his interest in her was piqued.

But he quickly turned back to the front, his palms dampening slightly.

Akatsuki, the other professor, was standing, his expression serious whereas his twin standing next to him was...to say it bluntly, "chilling." Hands in his pockets, attempting to whistle, he was possibly the opposite of his brother.

And yet, Amatsuki was the older twin.

"Alright. Johnathan, is it?" Akatsuki's red eyes stared at the dark-skinned boy pointedly and John nodded, suppressing the chill running down his spine. "We'll basically start by you wielding each weapon and we will measure the soul wavelength that we sense from you. But, you'll also have to tell us how comfortable you are with wielding whatever weapon."

John took his hands out of his pockets and replied, "Okay."

"You can pick who to wield first," Amatsuki piped up cheerfully, his fingers busy picking at cracks on a broken desk. "Also, Weapons, don't feel bad if you're not picked, since all of you will get a meister, some way or another."

A low murmur came from the students in line and John's eyes roamed over them.

The white-haired girl was looking at him, as if challenging him to pick her. The dark-skinned boy frowned as his acarophilia spiked up. No, he would not succumb to the need to tickle all the female weapons. That would scare all of them away, and probably also creep everyone else too.

He trudged over to the white-haired girl and asked, "What's your name?"

Her back straightened and her eyes visibly brightened. "Min. Min Li. I'm a..pole arm weapon." She bowed, white hair cascading over the rose-colored chang-ao she wore.

When she looked up, for the briefest of moments, her serious face flickered to a smile, before her body changed, hidden by a flash of light, into a long, curved spear-like weapon, the curved blade at the end glinting in the light. She easily fell into his hands and was the perfect weight to swing around with no problems. In his peripheral vision, John could see Akatsuki scribbling wildly on his clipboard and Amatsuki straighten up from his previously drowsy form.

I feel the resonance, the meister heard his weapon's voice perfectly, as if she lived in his head. The weapon, under his hands, was warm and almost inviting, if a pointy object could ever be.

"Man, these guys are pretty quick in finding their partners, huh?" Amatsuki sighed. "Not much fun, but we save time, I guess. I'll just bug Risket more later-"

"No. You," Akatsuki turned towards the yawning professor with a strict look in his eyes. "Will be staying here to write down their sync rates and be in charge of matching them up."

Min transformed back and the line of weapons moved uneasily, impatient. No one was really paying attention to them anymore... The white-haired girl bowed deeply to John, who hesitated before replying with his own.

"It will be a pleasure to work with you," she softly said, extending a hand to him, the sleeve of her clothes floating slightly.

"Same."

**xxx**

While this was happening, Risket was searching for Black Sage's room. A NOT professor of the school, he was still an adept meister and very responsible, unlike a certain other teacher... The doctor grumbled under his breath, but reformed his expression into a neutral one as he pushed open the door to Sage's room.

Risket paused, then remembered that partner matching was today, which explained the four kids ambling around the room.

However, the doctor spied casual-dressing Sage from across the room.

"Hey! I've got a report for you, Sage," Risket called, adjusting his glasses.

The professor didn't look up, but the four kids did. The gray-haired doctor was now close enough to hear every word the teens talked about.

There were definitely two sisters, as two girls had the same black hair and pale skin, but with different eyes. Risket noticed that their souls' feeling felt off, as if they were tainted, but he paid it no mind. Shinigami-sama would not have let a stumbling idiot with Madness problems into the school as a public student. Even if they were girls and even if they had no place else to go.

The other two, both males, were hitting it off pretty well. One had blonde hair and dreamy-looking eyes and was rather tall, while the other was redheaded and shorter, but the way he stood made him appear a lot more confident.

"Mino, I can't afford to hurt you again, so you'll have to sync with _that ditzy idiot_."

Risket almost wanted to moonwalk his way out of the room.

"B-but, Satoko, what-" Before Mino could ask a question, the older sister patted her head.

"Even if he seems air-headed, I'm sure he's a...semi-competent meister. You'll be fine, Mino," the older girl pressed a kiss to her forehead and just then Sage literally jumped out of his seat, landing on the floor with a thump.

He brushed invisible dirt off his clothes and strode his way towards Risket, who was now fidgeting under everyone's attention.

"Pleasure to see you here, Risket. I'm just finishing up my class' matching process," the black-haired man gestured towards the students. "They're all quite promising.."

The tall blonde seemed to stare out the window, slightly open-mouthedly, before the red-haired one elbowed him, making him jolt to attention.

"I can see that," Risket smiled reassuringly, then handed Sage the envelope.

"Petra smashed another wall so Shinigami-sama is going to need another donation. You can give the letter to Himi, if her family can donate any more," the doctor lowered his voice so that the four students couldn't hear.

"Raymond, stop trying to eavesdrop, that's rude," Sage laughed and waved the red-head away.

"I told you it wouldn't-

"Shhh, Aden, you're just not gutsy enough to do it."

Once he was sure the students were out of earshot, Sage mumbled, "Maybe it's better now that the Kishin is coming... More missions equals more money..."

Risket made a noise in the back of his throat that sounded similar to a snort of disapproval, but he replied, "Maybe. All I know is that everything's gonna be a lot busier for me."

The black-haired teacher's eyes roved Risket's messily combed hair and dark shadows. "Don't take things too hard, Risket, just because there's no one else in charge, okay? The Kaname twins can take care of some things at least, and if it gets too hard, don't hesitate to come to me."

The doctor gave Sage a tired smile. "I might take you up on that offer, then."

"I'd be glad to help."

"See you later." Risket waved and opened the door, glancing one last time at the students. The two sisters were staring at him, their different colored eyes literally stabbing into his soul.

He averted his eyes and quickly exited the classroom, his hands trembling.

He just felt that he would see them in the infirmary soon...

**xxx**

Amatsuki flopped on the desk, plumb tired. He was so bored, he had made a fort of desks with the unusable, broken ones. At his movements, his goggles were knocked down onto his nose and the brown-haired professor gave a yelp of surprise. "Dang, why do I wear these again?"

His brother didn't even look up from the papers he was scribbling on. "Because you think it makes you look cool. Ama, don't you have things to do?"

Akatsuki finally looked up and stared right into Amatsuki's gaze, red versus brown, while everything else looked the same. Minus the haircut and the faded scars on Amatsuki's face.

"Nah! Just wanna spend some time with my precious li'l bro!" The brown-eyed man gave his brother a cheeky grin, then proceeded to accidentally kick the leg of a chair out and send the pile of desks he had compiled to the ground.

"Noooo! All my hard work!"

Akatsuki sighed, then adjusted his thick-framed glasses. "You're the older brother and yet you never act like it. When are you going to grow up?"

"Never!" Came the pained reply as the brown-haired man clawed his way back up. His hair was sticking up in all directions and his goggles had fallen off his head entirely, hanging around his neck like a piece of jewelry.

"I suppose it's kind of beneficial for both of us..." Akatsuki put down his pen, his face changing from serious to pensive. "If you weren't the way you were, I'd have been-"

Amatsuki loudly smacked a table. "Aw, crab-eating mongrels! Aka, why the _hell_ didn't you fix these desks? I'm _stuck_!"

The younger brother's lips twitched into a small smile. His older brother did act like a protective one at least. He cared, and that was all he needed.

In his stupor, Akatsuki didn't notice Amatsuki's futile struggles and the knock on the door.

"Professor?" A head of wavy silver hair popped in. Adeline pushed open the door, shuffling in with her eyes blinking rapidly.

"Oh, hi, Adeline," Amatsuki waved, looking at her upside down, his legs somehow squeezed through the small rungs of a desk. "Did you get Shinigami-sama's approval?"

Adeline shook her head, "He's too busy with the K-Kishin."

Akatsuki twitched, but continued working. The motion wasn't unnoticed by his brother.

"Alright...Well, the demonstration can probably wait," Amatsuki waved it off casually. "You and Wyatt get any missions as of late?"

The silverette thought for a moment, crossing her arms over her chest. "Well... we had one. A stupid false alarm though. Some idiot thought a Corrupted Soul was living in his trash cans and made them move. It was a squirrel!" Adeline rolled her eyes, then turned to leave.

"I'm sure there will be more missions for you, real ones," Akatsuki murmured.

"What was that, Professor...er, K-Kaname Two?" It was clear she never really interacted with Amatsuki's brother because of her hesitation in what to call him.

"It's nothing," he looked up and smiled, a small one that didn't reach his eyes. Adeline looked slightly confused but left the room with a cheerful "goodbye."

Amatsuki stared at his brother concernedly.

"I'm fine, Amatsuki."

A skeptical look.

"No, really. You should also get out of the desk before you lose your legs from lack of circulation."

"Why don't you _help_ me?"

"'Cause you're an idiot."

"Akatsukiiiiiiiiii..."

Amatsuki was basically found there by Risket, hours later, passed out and still stuck in the desk.

**xxx**

The sun was just setting and newly-formed pairs of meister-and-weapons were heading off to their respective residences. Shibusen now had separate sections and seemed more of a college than an academy of sorts. With the decrease in Madness and corrupted humans, it cost less for students to live on the campus rather than in Death City.

A loud laugh pierced the hazy silence of dusk and two boys jostled each other easily. One of them sported a gelled, semi-mohawk hairstyle streaked with red, while the other had tousled brown hair. A girl curiously followed them, a smile playing on her lips.

"Oi, Yang, don't forget 'bout your weapon. Look at her, all lonely. You changing your ways?" The brown-haired teen laughed and the girl behind them flushed.

Taeyang Park, fondly nicknamed by his friend as Yang, frowned and elbowed the teaser. "Hey, lay off, Youya! You know these ways aren't gonna die down anytime soon. Might just be changin' them, alright?"

"What're you talking about?" The auburn-haired, brown-eyed girl quickly caught up with them, her eyebrows knitted down in confusion. "What ways?"

"Nothing you need to know, Aislin," Taeyang shushed her, but she frowned.

"I told you to call me Lin! I...I don't like my full name, okay?" She stuck her tongue out and Youya snickered in the background, earning a deadly glare from Taeyang.

"Right, right, Lin," the black-haired male chuckled. "Well, we'll be parting ways here, huh? Too bad you're just starting in Shibusen. Maybe I'll ask Shinigami-sama to have you move in with us."

"So you can make your lecherous moves on her?" Youya piped up, green eyes glittering with suppressed laughter.

"No! That's weird!" Taeyang pushed his friend with a half-smile. "Anyway! See you tomorrow, Lin."

"Bye...Yang!" Lin waved and hesitated before calling him his nickname. The two boys watched for a moment as she stumbled and tripped her way back to her dorm room.

"She growing on you yet? I can tell she already likes you," Youya latched onto his friend.

"Lay off! First day and you're already bugging me about girls," Taeyang huffed and smacked his friend's hand off his shoulder. "Where's your weapon?"

"Sick." Youya grimaced.

"That sucks. Check up on Chiyoko then?"

"Probably."

The two boys wandered off to wherever Chiyoko's dorm, unaware of the two pairs of eyes observing them from far away.

From high-up in the Shibusen main building, Muse stared down, her hands wrapped around the bars in the windows like a jail.

"Art? How come we can't go play with everyone else?" She turned to look at the white-haired boy that sat with her. His face had matured suddenly, the twelve year old appearance that he took on at first accelerating to a fifteen-year old.

His voice was still the same, however.

"That's a secret that only the Shibusen should know. Muse, you have me to protect you and sometimes," his eyes were distant, as if looking through another person's eyes. "The world isn't as kind as you think."

The girl quickly ran and tackle-hugged Art, burying her head into his chest. His back hit the wall slightly from the impact, but he wrapped his arms around her small body tightly.

"Art, I love you!" She whispered with a childish smile spreading on her face, resting her chin over his chest.

He stroked her hair with a fond smile, replying, "I know you do. I know."

**. **

**.**

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**A/N**: So, I'm really bad at writing endings. That's it. Also, yay for hints to characters' backstories! Hope I got them all in character and now, I'm just gonna go cry at how cheesy I start and end my fics.

Let me know how you think of this chapter through reviews! Constructive criticism appreciated, but revering praise also loved! ;D

-Vis


	4. 3-retrograde monochromatism

A/N: Answering review time again! :D  
To **Soul and Heart**: Aaaawh, I just got a lot of OCs and was pretty eager to introduce them. Not all of them have been formally introduced yet, though! Glad you like them, some of them are OCs ;) Now that's the question: are they siblings or what? I'll leave that as a mystery to be solved later!  
To **sco23**: You're having it your way ;D  
To **Original509**: This chapter was a little later than expected due to the errors in uploading on , but I'm planning on updating at least weekly :) Amatsuki and Akatsuki...they ARE twins, and parents are silly so they name them similar names then get them mixed up…  
To **petit vanille**: I agree! I love writing the twins and their antics! Your OCs will be formally introduced in the action-packed next chapter!

With that, I don't own any of characters except my own OCs!

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**.**

**.**

"Chiyoko? I'm back," Youya called out, closing the front door. Oddly enough, Shibusen allowed weapons and meisters to live together in a dorm, even if they weren't of the same gender. However, the brown-haired male was sure someone was at least patrolling; he had heard footsteps outside quite a lot of times and at predictable intervals. The walls were thin, and he was sure that if anything escalated past normal talking voices, everyone would be able to hear.

As Youya stepped delicately over unwashed bowls and junk food wrappers, he heard a groan of pain.

"Yocchi, everything hurts," Chiyoko whined, and when Youya entered the room, he saw the orange-haired girl wrapped in her blankets, looking like a cocoon with a tuft of spiky orange poking out of the top. "I'm hungry too."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll make something…" The male toddled off back to the kitchen, picking up scattered dishes and trash on his way.

He stopped to stare at the overflowing metal bin filled with takeout boxes and wrappers, sighed, then went to throw it all out.

"Honestly, why am I stuck doing all the housework?" Youya scratched his head as he stepped back inside. "It's like I'm so whipped—"

"YOUYA! I'M REALLY F'KIN' HUNGRY!"

"OKAY, OKAY!" He yelled back and his shoulders slumped slightly.

"I'm really whipped, aren't I?" He opened the refrigerator and peered inside. Fish sticks. Fish sticks everywhere. Only fish sticks. Chiyoko hated fish sticks with a deathly passion. She could smell it from miles away and the teen was surprised the boxes still _existed_ even inside the refrigerator.

"Uhhh, Chiyoko? We have a problem…" Youya called, eyes shifting from side to side.

"YEAH, I KNOW. I'M HUNGRY, THAT'S THE PROBLEM!" Her reply made the boy roll his eyes in amusement.

"No, there's only fish sticks in the refrigerator. You'll have to wait a bit while I order something," he held his breath for the incoming scream.

"THROW THEM OUT, THROW THEM OUT, NONONONONO, I HATE HATE _HATE_ FISH STICKS! YOUYAAAAA!"

And Youya thought she was sick. He hid a small smile, but pressed his hand over a ringing ear.

"Whatever you say," he murmured and pulled out a plastic bag to begin shoving all the boxes of microwave meals into it. "Taeyang probably did this anyway."

Exiting his apartment, he heard loud snickering from next door. Youya, padding over with a half-amused, half-resigned face, sidled up to the dark-haired male whose shoulders were shaking with mirth.

"Chiyoko is freaking out, I hope you're happy," The brown-haired male punched his friend on the shoulder.

Taeyang nodded fervently, his cheeks bright red from laughing too hard. "I-I still don't know why her screaming makes me laugh..s-so much," he coughed violently and was patted on the back by Youya.

"Don't do it again, will ya? My ears are really ringing," the brown-haired boy gave his friend another smack

"S-sorry, I won't!"

Youya shook his head. Taeyang would do it again and again. But maybe that was the routine they had fallen into from being best friends.

And he honestly didn't mind it at all.

**xx**

Come the next day, the originally sunny day had turned fouler. Clouds covered the sky with their gray, fluffy hands, obscuring the blue sky. A girl with black pigtails that were lavishly tied up by elaborate decorations sat next to the window, her arm propped up on the windowsill. She heaved a sigh.

"Itsu, I miss my family."

Her high-pitched voice garnered the attention of a taller male who quickly rushed to her side, bowing slightly.

"Lady Himi, I can administer a private call company for you to-"

"No!" Her hand slammed down on the white windowsill, making the glass shake slightly. A clink in the other room meant something toppled over from the force of her hit. "I mean… Shinigami-sama prohibits contact outside of the normal visits…"

"I can assure you it'll be private, though," Itsu earnestly looked up and caught her red-eyed gaze, but quickly reassumed his submissive head bowing position. One side of the mask that covered the bottom half of his face fell off slightly, making him hastily break position to fix it.

"That would be against the rules...It's tempting, but he'll somehow catch me again," Himi wrinkled her nose in remembrance of the catastrophic accident. "However, Shibusen does depend on my family for the appropriate funding…No, I won't capitalize on that." She stood up delicately, smoothing the wrinkles in her expensive hakama.

"I'm above stooping that low for familial attention," she mused and walked out of the room, Itsu respectfully following her at a distance.

"Itsu?" Himi suddenly called out and stopped.

"Yes, my lady?" He blinked rapidly and flushed slightly, the pinkness in his cheeks standing out from the paleness of his face.

"Don't you miss the family too?" She turned around, staring up at the taller male.

"Well..." His dark eyes shifted to the side, as if wanting to end the conversation.

"You do, don't you?" For a second, the corners of her lips twitched upwards. "It's not as if you can lie to me. We've been together since birth, so I know all of your quirks."

Itsu sighed and nodded, loosening his posture slightly. "I miss them in the same manner as you, but maybe less so your parents and more so our cousins."

"Yes, I hope she's alright," Himi tilted her head to the side, but turned back around to continue walking.

"Lady Himi, remember you have to collect our first mission today," the male reminded the younger girl and her eyes widened.

"Ah, forgot. Is it time already?"

As Itsu locked the door behind them and Himi waited, both of them heard the pattering of feet against the hall's marbled floor.

"H-hi!" The black-haired girl turned to stare blankly at a heavily panting, auburn-haired girl with long legs. "U-um, I..I live in the dorm next to you... I-I'm new to...to Shibusen." Her speech was heavily accented by panting and Himi stepped back slightly, dainty hands pulling her clothes back.

Big, brown eyes looked up at her and Lin smiled widely while sticking her hand out. "I'm Aislin Emers, but I go by Lin."

Himi glanced at the outstretched hand before replying haughtily, "Himi." She didn't take the hand and Lin awkwardly brought it back to her side, her mega-watt smile dimming considerably.

"Lady Himi, it's time to go." Itsu bowed respectfully to his meister, before facing the confused Lin.

"Excuse her, Miss Lin. Lady Himi is a bit irritable today. But, we must speak on a different day. Lady Himi is receiving her first mission today," the male smiled politely and professionally.

"H-hey wait, you're some kind of royalty or something? Why's he calling you Lady?" Lin reached out and grabbed Himi's shoulder, but as soon as she did, the black-haired girl whirled around, red eyes flashing angrily.

"Excuse me, but I don't deal politely with _commoners_ that dare to touch me," she snarled, hand brushing off whatever dirty germs Lin might have brought. "I'll tell you this, _peasant_. I'm no royalty and I'll never be."

With a 'hmph' and a toss of her pigtails, Himi stomped off, slamming the door, leaving a stunned Lin and an apologetic Itsu.

His half-veiled face looked pained. "I sincerely apologize for her behavior. Please, do not bring up the topic the next time we speak. Lady Himi is particularly...sensitive on that topic."

Lin's fists clenched, her nails digging into her palms as she tried not to let the tears fall. "I-it's o-okay... I-I understand..." Itsu hesitated before turning around and following his meister. But he did send a concerned glance back, fast enough to see Lin dive into her room and slam the door.

Lin slumped down, sliding her back against the door. Her shoulders shook as the tears freely flowed down her face. Himi's words definitely hurt, for a person that was treated with nothing but kindness her entire life.

Her fingers rubbed at her red-rimmed eyes as she choked out, "I wish...I wish I didn't come here... I miss my family..."

But Lin hid a small smile at the male that tried to comfort her after that rude Himi...

"He was..nice..." She clasped her hands together and the tears slowly dried up.

**xx**

"Lady Himi!" She was moving quite fast with her sleeves raised to her face. "You made her cry, you know," Itsu pressured Himi, his eyes boring into the back of her head.

"It doesn't pertain to me, I don't have to care," the girl tilted her head up and refused to look at her weapon. "_Mother_ would have approved of my reaction."

Itsu caught onto the bitter tone in her voice. There was a moment of silence, in which both of them strolled languidly towards the main Shibusen building, its red spikes piercing the clouds. The top was obscured by a mass of white that billowed along with the changing winds.

"Itsu, is it fair for me to keep secrets from people I want to become friends with? The fact that I am important to the Attika family and Shibusen means that if someone were to ever find out..."

Her sudden question made Itsu pause for a moment.

"I think...yes, it'd be very dangerous for someone to find out who was an enemy of Shibusen. However, I don't think friends appreciate big secrets held against them. Some understand, but some don't, so it's a matter of judgment," he spoke softly so the other students milling about wouldn't eavesdrop on their conversation.

Himi nodded solemnly and wiped her eyes again.

"I don't mind...keeping this life of secrecy as long as Shibusen stands strong. After all, they're the only ones protecting my family from _it_," she murmured and Itsu drew closer.

His hand rested lightly on her shoulder and she didn't brush it off. "Lady Himi, let's focus on our first mission? I'm sure we'll need all the concentration we can get beforehand."

"Yes, you're right. Itsu, what would I do without you?" Himi gave him a rare smile and the clouds lightened slightly so that a ray of sunlight could peek through.

**.**

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**A/N:** I apologize, this chapter was slightly shorter than the rest, because I didn't want to introduce all the OCs all at once, like I did on the last chapter! Let me know if you want it longer or shorter, or whatever. The next chapter will be of a current pair of OCs, doing their mission things and having a grand old time arguing with each other violently! If you can guess who it is, ALL the virtual cookies to you!

Reviews greatly appreciated! :)

-Vis


	5. 4- cutting line

**A/N:** Aaaaah, guyssssss I'm sorry for not updating for a while! Finals and tests are coming up like a huge tsunami and I'm just drowning in all of it... Regardless, I got this up, but I apologize in advance for any stupid errors or whatever you might find... I wanted to get this out fast, so maybe I wasn't clear in my proofreading, so if you see any mistakes, don't hesitate to put it in a review!

To **bittersweetendingsforever**: I'm glad I got Chiyoko's personality down! I can't wait to expand on her in the later chapters! And thank you for the compliments ;) you're awesome too!  
To **sco23:** Thanks!  
To **Original509:** Haha, sounds like me! You might be right, but let's see what happens in the later chapters and keep _that_ a secret~ I hope you think this chapter will be sufficient enough content-wise!  
To **halie . moss****.9**: Maybe, maybe, I like to keep you all guessing!

Without further ado, here is Chapter 3! I don't own Soul Eater, but I own my own OCs, but none of yours! Enjoy~

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**.**

"It's a burglar this time."

Echo casually threw the paper in front of her step-sister, Petra, and began pulling on her tattered cloak.

"Hn, that's it? A burglar?" Petra swiveled the rolly chair to languidly stare at the other girl.

"Yes. A corrupted soul," the purplette returned her step-sister's stare with a pointed glare. "Hurry up, or else more people will be killed."

Immediately, Petra perked up, her brown eyes gleaming with unrestrained bloodlust. "Oh? Well then, it's going down!" She literally flew out of the room, hastily snapping on a newer-looking cloak than Echo's, or at least, it wasn't as tattered.

"Simple-minded."

"I _heard that!_"

Echo swallowed the grin that slowly appeared on her face. She wasn't supposed to like her step-sister.

**xxx**

The walk was absolutely dreadful.

Silence rose between the two girls, but what also rose was the fact that they were walking on the opposite sides of the city road. Petra shot a glare over at the purplette and Echo returned it. "Where exactly, is this burglar?" The brunette yelled, and several heads turned towards her. She shrunk slightly and pretended as if she didn't ask.

Echo rolled her eyes. "I told you this a while ago, slowpoke. It's in the left alleyway by Deathbucks. Weird because it's so popular and a corrupted soul is living right next to it."

Petra just sniffed daintily, turning her head. "At least it's less weird than you."

Up ahead, the popular coffee shop was busy, customers lining up, chatting with their friends.

"At least I'm not as pampered as you."

"Excuse me?! You've gotten more money out of my father than I ever had!" Petra exploded, walking across the street while completely ignoring the people that jumped backwards to not stumble into her. "All because of that conniving _bitch_ you call mother!"

Pedestrians tried not to stare at the two girls as they fought, but ended up looking anyways. The brunette was all up in Echo's face, daring her to respond.

"My mother is not a bitch. Get your facts right before you spout out nonsense, because it's obvious to see who got more money by our clothes," Echo sneered, pushing her step sister backwards.

Petra stumbled slightly but recovered quickly, brushing her shoulder off. The dark blouse, paired with the black vest and ruffled skirt looked very high quality, but Echo was almost wearing brand names of the same.

Their glares were electrifying as they swerved into the alleyway that they hoped was the right one. Echo knew the mission wasn't very clear, as the burglar moved from base to base.

Mud squelched underneath Petra's boots and her frown widened. "Ew..." she muttered, picking up a leg to stare at the soiled heel of her shoes. "This is gross."

"Hmph. Gross pairs with gross. No wonder why the mud is on your shoes," the purplette smirked and sent a scathing look towards Petra. The brunette just pressed her lips tightly together and faced forwards, trying to ignore Echo's jibes.

"I wonder why your mother died...Because you're so ugly—"

Petra whirled around and pinned the other girl to the wall, rubbing her cloaked back against the grimy bricks. "Don't you dare talk about my mother again. Remember the Kishin? The terrible madness that spread over those that were already partly mad?" Echo's purple eyes stared at the brunette surprisingly.

"Well, guess what?"

A sickly grin spread over Petra's face as she leaned closer to be nose-to-nose with her step-sister. "Beloved Papa had to go crazy and kill Mother, right? He stabbed her ten times in the stomach and twice in the heart, all with the kitchen knife that I still have in my drawer. He was so weak, so weak, couldn't even withstand the madness."

Her eyes had grown impossibly wide, a cackle escaping her mouth. The pinned girl felt the shivering of cold sweat beading up against her skin. "And I watched it all, oh yes, he never even knew I was there," Petra giggled and let go of her sister with a disdainful smile.

"He's trying so hard to cover his tracks. Now he's trying to forget Mother, so he's settling with some no-face _tramp_. Which happens to be your mother." She turned around and continued walking as Echo sat, dumbfounded, on the ground.

Scrambling up, the purplette caught up to the briskly walking girl. "Look—"

Petra whirled around and shouted, "I'm not ready to deal with your bullshit, right—"

Interrupting her,Echo forced her hand to clamp over Petra's mouth.

"I hear him."

With the barest of rustles, only a person with sharp hearing would be able to listen. The weapon-girl shook her bangs out.

"He's coming closer, from the left!" Echo shouted,

Petra cussed and grabbed Echo's arm. "Let's bring this shit-eater down!" The purplette glowed and in Petra's hand, she transformed into an ornate, glossy crossbow.

"He's tricky. Be careful—"

"Chill, you think this twerp can beat us?!" Petra smirked widely, a canine or two glinting in the light. Perched on a dilapidated balcony, the corrupted burglar of a man giggled at the sight of the two's confidence and hoisted the bag higher on his back.

His voice was like nails on a chalkboard, scratchy and annoying, and Petra's smirk turned into a grimace. "Hee hee, you should listen to your sweetie sister, because I hear _everything _now that I've eaten delicious souls!" His deformed fingers, the joints swelling into shiny knobs, adjusted the mask covering a gruesome-looking face. A tuft of hair fell to the ground, but his face only widened with a smile.

"Enough talk!" Petra shouted and ran deeper into the alleyway, her crossbow aimed straight in between the monster's eyes. "Eat this!"

She pulled the wire of Echo's form backwards and let loose the arrows already sheathed within the weapon. They flew in a straight line but simply stuck into the wall where the Burglar used to be.

"Shit, he's fast!" The brunette muttered and skidded to a halt. "Where'd the coward go?!"

"Too slow~"

By the time Petra whipped around, she took a hit right on the face by a large, heavy bag and she was thrown backwards into a wall. Pain wracked her spine as she slid to the ground, but through sheer willpower, she stumbled back to her feet, eyebrows creased down angrily.

"_Petra! Are you okay?"_ Echo's worried voice spoke and her face reflected in the crossbow.

"I'm fine," the brunette spat on the floor, brown eyes vicious as she stared down the corrupted human in front of her. He only laughed more, starting to turn his body. But before he could take another step, he realized the tattered excuse of pants he wore were pinned to the ground.

"Gotcha, _slowpoke_!"

Petra's eyes widened as a gleeful smile overtook her face at the prospect of a trapped enemy. Dashing forwards, her hand grabbed the creature's shoulders and she pulled herself around his neck, and with her legs, she twisted his neck, hearing the satisfying snap of a spine.

Dropping down, the girl held her crossbow at the ready, knowing that the battle wasn't over yet. "_He's coming!"_

"I know, Echo. Stop nagging!" Petra snarled as she let loose another barrage of arrows. The burglar had twisted his neck back with a sickly noise and his pants ripped as he waddled out of the arrow trap.

The creature, if even possible, looked even more insane as time passed. The souls within his body were eroding the physical body he was using, so all of the human features that existed before looked gruesome. By now, he was stepping on a majority of the hair he had lost and his skin began to look grayish and spotty. "The more souls I eat…." it began to mutter, "The stronger I get…!"

"I'll eat yours! Yours and your sweetie sister's!" It wasn't a male anymore. The thing lunged at Petra, who simply sidestepped it and with an almost pitying expression, stepped on its chest as it smashed itself head-first into the wall.

"Like hell are you getting our souls. Poor excuse of an enemy," the brunette spit at the thing. "Poor excuse of a human too, trying to get stronger the easy way." The mask on the corrupted monster fell off, and for a moment, both of the girls swore a tear spilled out of its swollen, reddened eyes.

Before she could feel remorse, Petra slipped her special Holy arrows in the canister and with a swift movement, shot a full round into the corrupted being's heart. It convulsed, blood squirting out of the steaming cavity that the arrows had produced. Stepping off the body, she watched the physical body slowly disappear in a haze of small, blue lights, revealing just a bobbing, red Corrupted soul.

With another flash of light, Echo reverted to her human form, brushing off some dust that landed on her cloak. Picking up the soul, she was in the middle of eating it when she noticed that Petra was covered in the evil human's blood.

The brunette stood there, still staring at the spot where the monster used to be, an unreadable expression on her face.

"You're covered in blood," Echo tilted her head to the side and swallowed the soul with a satisfied hum.

"I know."

Petra rolled her shoulders back with a distant look on her face. "Is it possible for Corrupted Humans to revert to normal?"

The purplette shrugged and threw her step-sister a clean cloak. "Change. People will stare at you, all bloody like that."

"Thanks. We make a good te—" Petra caught herself before she spoke any more and a vicious blush overtook her cheeks. "I mean, w-wow, you're so weak, God. If I used anymore arrows, y-you should've been sent back to the NOT classes."

Echo hid a smile at the girl's stammering and stared up at the sky, where the creepy Sun laughed a drowsy, soft chuckle. "We did well."

Petra spluttered and Echo laughed, for the first time in a long while.

**xxx**

Risket rubbed his forehead as he stepped down the stairs. He had an annoying companion at his side, as well as two other lumps of flesh to supervise. All of this wasn't helping his throbbing headache.

"Heeeeey, Risky, don't ignore me!" Amatsuki bounced around the dark gray-haired doctor with a goofy grin on his face. Adjusting his goggles, the man hopped down the stairs faster than Risket, spinning around on his feet like a small child. He almost looked like Muse, who was doing the exact same thing with the same goofy smile on her face. "Risky!"

"What."

The doctor really needed an aspirin.

"Don't be such a stick-in-the-mud," the youthful male wrinkled his nose. "It's so bright today, and the weather's quite nice! You should enjoy it while you can, right?" His happy eyes dimmed slightly as he glanced quickly at the small girl frolicking behind him. Art was strolling along, with a small smile on his face as he watched Muse.

"Before she—" Amatsuki was cut off when Risket called out, "Art, do you have an aspirin on you? The useless man in front of me is acting like a stuck-up child and I'm not supposed to be his babysitter."

The now 20-year old looking male blinked for a moment, before reaching into his pocket. In his fingers dangled a plastic bag with a couple of white pills in it. "These are aspirins?"

Relief spread over the doctor's face as he made grabby hands. "Yes! Art, you are a perfect, perfect being."

The white-haired male only offered a smile and turned back to watch Muse. Her white hair seemed to float in the gentle breeze and, if possible, Art's eyes softened even more at watching her.

"They don't really look like siblings, do they?" Amatsuki murmured out loud.

"I dunno and I don't really care, right now?" Risket, without drinking water, swallowed two tablets with an exhausted sigh. "At least Muse isn't as annoying as you!"

"Aw, you don't really mean that!" The young professor held a hand to his heart as he dramatically pouted. "You totally love me, Risky."

"Of course." The sarcasm couldn't have been laid thicker.

The two fell in stride with each other, watching the white-haired kids enjoy the sunlight.

However, they noticed another pair of shadows heading towards the entrance.

"That Echo and Petra?" Risket squinted his eyes and Amatsuki stared for a moment. The brown-haired man nodded enthusiastically and the doctor sped up his pace to catch up with the siblings.

"Muse?" The girl turned around at the sound of Risket's voice and she gave him a closed-eye smile.

"What is it, Uncle?" Oddly enough, the name seemed to fly by the doctor, despite his dislike for nicknames. She floundered around his legs as he bent down.

"Do you still have the locket Echo dropped?"

Muse nodded and shuffled around in her dress' pocket before pulling out the necklace.

"Well, Echo is over there," Risket pointed and understanding flashed in the girl's face.

"Art," the girl looked up with wide, trusting eyes. "I'm gonna go give it back to her, okay?" The young man tilted his head in answer, but casually followed her, ignoring the stares of both Risket and Amatsuki. Muse ran off, kicking her feet in the air.

"You don't see them apart a lot, huh," Amatsuki nudged Risket and the doctor gave him a questioning glance.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Suspicion laced the glasses-wearing man's voice and the brunette shrugged.

"Nothing, really."

When Muse finally caught up with the two, Echo and Petra were both slumping slightly as they trudged up the steps. They both heard the soft footsteps and turned around. Startled out of her mind, Petra fell on her butt, a hand grasping her heart. Art stifled a laugh as he was in earshot of their conversation.

"Holy Death, that scared the soul outta me!" She breathed hard as Muse stood over her, eyes unblinking.

"Oh, you're not Echo," the white-haired girl murmured and turned to the purplette with her hand still in her pocket. "I have something of yours."

Echo's eyebrow raised.

"You dropped this," Muse extended her palm out and opened it, the small locket in her hand. Echo's eyes widened and she dropped to her knees to fish it out of the curved, white palm.

Her fingers accidentally brushed against Muse's skin and the purple-haired girl recoiled sharply but not before taking her locket.

The small girl only looked at her with innocent eyes and a pleasantly confused expression.

Muse's skin was as cold as ice.

Art's eyes narrowed.

**.**

**.**

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**A/N: **Ah well. Most of everything I put in here as some relevance for stuff later on, so all of you guys should totally try and guess Art and Muse's relationship, why Amatsuki likes bothering Risket, and why our poor doctor is being ailed by these headaches! Virtual cookies to those that get clooose~

-Vis


	6. 5- lion's den

**A/N**: Ah, I'm so sorry, but this chapter is a little shorter, I think. I'm not sure about the word count, but it feels a lot shorter! Thank you all for the reviews and the wonderful support. I know how it feels to have consistent readers and reviewers, and I really appreciate that you're reading not only for your OCs, but for the story. It makes me really happy! For all of your awesome (and maybe correct—but I'm not saying whose—) guesses, virtual cookies by the gallon for everyone! *throws cookies into review section* Thanks for playing along with my little games!

To **petit vanille**: No problem! I'm hoping to expand more on their little tsun-relationship together and make their sisterly bond stronger. I'm glad you like it, though. Though I can't answer those questions yet, it'll definitely be revealed later!

To **Original509**: YES THIS IS DEFINITELY CORRECT BINGO! But noooo, I'm just joking. Cookies to slash ships! I'm doing my best with each character, so I definitely hope I can make you love your character more than you already do! ;) Thank you!

To **Soul and Heart**: Yes, yes, school is being as demanding as ever with those floods of tests. I agree with the escapes; school is tiring me out more than I thought it would, so I apologize for the kind-of late updates? I'm trying to get each one out weekly, and on Sundays, so check weekly! The connection is definitely right, but I'll hush up about the secret secrets~

To **TheWalkingGnome**: Those are all great guesses! Of course, I love making readers have to think a little deeper, but I guess cliches are what I end up with...It's okay, right?! *panics*

I apologize beforehand for any errors in this chapter. I don't own any of your OCs, only my own, and somewhat this plot! Enjoy!

Edit: OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD IM SO SORRY I CANT IM SORRY HOLY SHIT IM SO SORRY I MESSED UP I DUN GOOFED I REALLY FUCKED UP THIS TIME IM SORRY Original509 I MESSED UP YOUR CHARACTER AND YUU I MESSED UP RAYMOND WOW IM REALLY SORRY IM SORRY IM SORRY *PANICS* *SHOOTS*

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**.**

**.**

Himi breathed in, then out.

The classroom door was just right in front of her, and her mission was waiting in her professor's hand, she was sure of it.

"Lady Himi?" Itsu's worried voice brought her out of her calm bubble and her nonchalant expression morphed into a frown.

"S-sorry," she shook her head and reached for the doorknob. "Just a touch nervous, is all." A hand rested on her shoulder and she turned her head to catch her weapon's smiling face from behind his mouth veil.

"It'll be fine. You have me, after all."

Himi nodded, a light blush overtaking her face. "Of course." However, in looking at Itsu, from the corner of her eye, the black-haired girl noticed Risket and some other people walking, their stances slightly slumped over with exhaustion, but by their eyes, they were on their guard.

She blinked and squinted, Itsu turning his head as well. They both observed the unknown, white-haired pair as they walked, Risket and Amatsuki flanking them on both sides. However, the male turned his head to stare directly into Himi's eyes and the girl stifled a gasp. The sharp, purple eyes made her recoil, but her heart pounded at the sharp curve of his jawbone and the soft-looking strands of white hair that brushed against his skin.

"W-who is he?" Himi felt short of breath and Itsu, with his eyebrows slightly creased, shrugged his shoulders in an out-of-character style. "Wait...That man...Grandmother's…?!"

Itsu stared at Himi with a perplexed look. "Lady Himi?"

"Those eyes….remember Grandmother's tale? The one with her arranged husband from the neighboring k? There was a scroll with the family's history, and his eyes, I remember them wherever I go. They scare me...but…" Himi closed her eyes, trying to remember. All of her childhood memories were all scattered and she felt her hands twitching in irritation. She wanted to punch something, maybe a wall.

"Are you talking about…the crazy demon?" Itsu's answer made her eyes fly open and she pounded her hand into her palm.

"Yes! Him! The one with the corrupted soul, he and his illicit lover killed the servants of our family when they were arriving to retrieve him for Grandmother's wedding! That...that story is passed down ever since, and Mother is deathly afraid of it happening to me…" Himi's eyes widened. "The monster is here? Does Shinigami-sama know of it? Is that why Doctor and Professor Amatsuki were escorting them?"

Itsu quickly grabbed Himi's arms and knelt down with apologetic eyes. "Calm down, my lady. I will hope that Professor Akatsuki will not be angry at our lateness, but we will address this problem with Shinigami-sama now, it seems. Let us go, but take deep breaths." Ushering her by her shoulders, the male steered her after where the four went. "I don't want you to faint due to my silliness."

"It will not be your fault—" Himi started but Itsu shushed her.

"Your mother would not approve of any complications towards your health and would blame it on me, no?" They both ended up in front of Shinigami-sama's office and knocked on the large door, waiting for the Death God's reply.

A cheery noise from within prompted them to shove the door open, revealing the happy-masked Shinigami, as well as Risket, and the man with the startlingly sharp, purple eyes. Himi stopped and stared, completely out of character, and only was able to continue moving with Itsu's hand pressed against her back.

"Shinigami-sama?" Itsu bowed and Himi hastily did the same, her cheeks slightly pink. She continued to stare inconspicuously at Art, but focused her listening to the Death God.

Itsu continued, "We simply saw the white-haired people and did not recognize them, so we followed them here. We are...curious, to say the least." He nudged Himi and she mustered up a weak smile in agreement. The young man was staring at them, but from behind him, a small girl that looked similar to him stared at them with wide, purple eyes.

Risket shifted and spoke, "They're new students...Just showing them around, that's all."

Amatsuki nodded enthusiastically, his goggles positively bouncing against his head. "Yup, yup, everyone's pretty busy, so we thought we could show them the works before their, and your, first classes," he tapped his chin with a grin.

The young man stepped forwards with a cordial smile, bringing with him the girl cowering behind him. "My name is Art, and this is Muse." He gently coaxed Muse from behind him, but her eyes were untrusting of the two standing in front of her. "Nice to meet you."

He extended a hand and Itsu was the first to shake it firmly in a friendly gesture. Himi simply nodded and looked away, with a small blush in her cheeks.

"Will you guys escort them to my classroom? Akatsuki isn't teaching, as of right now, and we'll probably co-teach," Amatsuki sighed. "I have so many things to do, I'm so stressed!"

Risket bonked the top of the brunette's head with a stern look. "More like nothing at all! Go back to work, you lazy bum."

"Awww, Risky! Don't be like that!"

The banter made everyone smile, and Himi led the charge out of Shinigami-sama's office.

What they didn't catch was the Death God sidling up to Risket, whispering, "The Chupa Cabra is empty. They're gone, and it might have to do the Kishin."

**xxx**

Himi blinked. Once, twice, before Art and Muse passed her with curious looks in their eyes. The princess was clearly not ready to meet the amount of rowdy students in front of her.

"I-Itsu! This is supposed to be an EAT Class, not a playpen, right?" The girl turned to her weapon, who looked just as confused as her. Akatsuki and Amatsuki were nowhere to be seen and there were papers, pens, even used tissues, strewn on the floor like nobody's business.

Himi delicately lifted her robes and tiptoed between all the fallen objects, Itsu following her. They passed the rows and sat at the very top, awkwardly silent as the rest of the class bantered about.

Taeyang and Chiyoko were among the loudest.

"SO YOU WERE THE ONE THAT HAD THE FISH STICKS FOR DINNER?! THE ENTIRE FLOOR SMELLED LIKE THEM! LEMME AT THE DOUCHE!" She shrieked, flailing her limbs about as her messy orange hair only got messier. Taeyang was full-out laughing as Youya struggled to keep his weapon from bashing his best friend's face in. Lin was shyly sitting in the seat next to her meister, stifling her laughter at Chiyoko's raging reactions.

She looked back once, and caught the eyes of both Itsu and Himi. Silently, the auburn-haired girl turned back without a word and the black-haired princess felt a small pain in her chest.

In the other corner, Johnathan and Min were among the quieter students. Both were reading books, ignoring the increasing noise of the classroom around them. The dark-skinned boy occasionally looked up to scan the room for a teacher, but returned to reading because he didn't see one.

Somewhere in the fray of students, Satoko and Mino, the two sisters, sat side by side, actively engaging in a conversation that was barely heard by the two of them despite their close proximity. Chiyoko was most definitely the loudest in the room and some glared at her, namely Petra. Echo was indifferent and casually doodled over her clean binder paper that was supposed to be where she took notes.

Aden and Raymond, despite not being a pair, seemed like one, as they were cheerfully talking to each other about rather random topics.

"Yeah, I guess I'm pretty bad at aiming," the blonde-haired male thought out loud, his eyes distant. "I think her sister would be a better match for her since she seems a lot more used to close-combat..."

Raymond nodded slowly, his eyes flickering between Aden's face and the back of his meister's head. Mino was continuing her talk with her sister and showed no signs of stopping.

When he turned back, he was face-to-face with a girl...Or rather, face-to-chest with a girl.

"Hi, I'm Adeline, nice to meet you!" Raymond wasn't sure if she was talking to him or Aden, so with his cheeks as scarlet as his hair, he turned back to the front.

"I'm talking to you, you know," she frowned and tapped the boy on his shoulder. "I thought you looked nice, but turns out, you're just as rude as everyone else."

"O-oh!" Raymond piped up quickly, grimacing internally at his slip-up. "Didn't know you were talking to me..."

He could hear Aden's chuckling and his embarrassed blush only further colored. Wyatt in his long blonde glory came to save the poor redhead.

"Your chest was in the way, so he couldn't place a face to the voice. Thus, he assumed you weren't talking to him," he reasoned with a small grin on his face. He patted Raymond in the head in a friendly manner and proceeded to drag Adeline away, his smile replaced with a stern frown. Adeline's daisy clip in her hair tinkled as the charms hanging off of it were bumping into one another from Wyatt's ushering.

As they disappeared to sit in their respective seat, they heard his scolding, "Adeline, you can't try and stick your boobs into someone's face like that! You'd be the rude one..."

She shot back, "But Garrett and Kanaya aren't here, so I can't bother him with my voluptuous, beautiful body…!"

At their exchange, both Aden and Raymond burst into laughter, the pink in the meister's face disappearing.

Just then, the door burst open and Sage walked in smartly, adjusting the mock glasses that perched on his nose. Walking up to the long desk, he rapped his knuckles on it, effectively garnering the attention of the class.

"Wasn't Professor Akatsuki supposed to be our teacher..?"

"I heard Amatsuki was!"

"Professor Sage is the NOT Professor, right?"

"Alright, everybody, quiet down now. I'm your substitute, and most of you know who I am, but for the newcomers just entering Shibusen, my name is Black Sage. You can call me Professor Sage," the glasses kept sliding down his face, so as he talked, he elegantly pulled them off and set them down on the desk with a small frown. "Both Amatsuki and Akatsuki are busy, so I will be starting off your first lesson in a lecture about safety and handling of your weapon and the synergistic effects of Soul Resonance…"

A mumbling groan spread over the students, but they all complied and as the lesson started, they began attentively listening to the black-haired man's speech…

**xxx**

Akatsuki looked troubled. He stood in front of the Chupa Cabra. The enormous, once neon-lit sign welcoming customers was dull and the building itself was dark, seemingly abandoned. The neat-haired professor adjusted a part of his collared shirt that was rising up with a serious expression, almost squinting at the previously-inviting cabaret club.

"Spirit used to come here all the time, right?" The younger brother mused. "With him gone, I guess business slowed down…"

His twin was hanging behind with his hands behind his head, leisurely strolling around the block, but by his flitting eyes, he was scanning the scene as well.

"They've been missing for a while, huh? Risket would be better at this than me, but his headaches are getting worse," Amatsuki commented, his voice a little worried sounding. In the dark, the scars lining his face in jagged patterns seemed to stand out further, accentuating his tanned skin and the whiteness of the lines. Akatsuki was silent, slipping his hands out of his pockets.

Running his fingers against the bricks, he closed his eyes, hoping to sense a bit of their presence left. The witches that ran the club were obviously gone, but residue energy of their magic remained within, but also outside of the building. A certain part seemed to glow, though, and stepping to the side, the younger professor found a scrap of paper, small enough to not be seen, but big enough to read the neat print.

"We've hidden. They're coming," Akatsuki read out loud. His eyebrows furrowed downwards as realization hit him.

Amatsuki peered over his shoulder concernedly. "Arachnophobia is gone, though. Who would want to hunt them, besides Shibusen?"

"A third-party group, looking for information."

The younger professor's fist clenched over the note, his jaw tight. His red eyes reflected a cold anger, but deep inside, a small tendril of fear crept into his heart.

"I guess _it's_ starting, then…"

**.**

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**A/N:** Whooooooo, so the actual plot is beginning! I've hinted that since this is about 13 years after Kishin Asura's resurrection, things have definitely changed. Although I won't hint about how/what happened to the Spartoi/Witches/students that were alive mainly, there will be some obvious shipping going on, and unfortunately, some deaths, as the hint to Spirit's was.

There will be some filler chapters to round out some characters, though, and maybe explain a little of their backstories, so bear with me there!

I guess today's guessing segment will be: Why does Sage want to wear glasses?! Is there going to be a cliche, love-octagon thing going on between all the students?! Is the authoress crazy and going off on too many cliches?!

Thanks for reading! :) I love all your guys' reviews!


	7. Filler 1: Risket the Doctor

**A/N: **I did say there were going to be fillers, didn't I? Our first little guest is the friendly, exhausted, exasperated doctor of Shibusen! My own little OC~

Edit: I've decided to do a little fun thing. If you want your characters poorly sketched out (I'm getting used to my new tablet, so I need the practice as well), feel free to PM whether or not you want to! It's optional, but it'll help you guys (and me) imagine these character and maybe I'll throw a little something of foreshadowing along with the drawing!

Without further ado...

**The Day in the Life of Risket the Doctor**

**1. Wake up**

Risket normally set an alarm, but as of late, with all the new students, he really didn't need to. Every morning, to the sound of chirping birds, there would be screaming and the smashing of buildings, in which the gray-haired doctor would sleepily raise his upper body and slip out of bed.

He really liked sleep, and his gray bunny slippers, as well as the students, but _goddamn, couldn't those kids keep it down?_

**2. Eat breakfast**

He could really do without the _bubbly kid-adult thing_ that often bugged him. Risket absolutely refused to acknowledge Amatsuki as anything else, because that term, _bubbly kid-adult thing_, fit him perfectly.

The doctor just wanted to eat his cereal. He got more than that, and now his coat was covered in milk and corn flakes. Yes, he was about ready to slaughter the professor, even if there weren't many in Shibusen.

**3. Get to Shinigami-sama**

The stairs were the worst part of anything in Shibusen. Risket was already panting by the fourth staircase, and when he looked up, he realized that there were well more than two more to go.

His glasses slipped down and hastily, he tried to retrieve them, but to his immense horror, he watched as they bounced (also cracked with each step), down the many stairs, until a horde of students rampaged out of a hallway. The doctor could only watch as his thirtieth pair of beloved round glasses were trampled into mere shards of glass.

**4. Report to Shinigami-sama**

"Where're your glasses?" Shinigami-sama tilted his head comically and stared at Risket, who was not looking very happy. He rubbed his forehead and muttered to himself.

"It's a long story, you know. Always the same. You really need to break some of those staircases, having an office up on ten flights? Worse than death itself! But, those students—" When the doctor looked up, he realized the Death God was definitely not listening to him, as he was admiring his appearance in the mirror.

"Why do I try…?" Risket sighed and walked out of the renovated office. Shinigami-sama didn't even notice.

**5. Fix Students**

It was probably the hundredth time he had to splint a student's sprained joint. The gray-haired doctor sighed and continued wrapping the kid's wrist up. The noise outside really didn't help his concentration, but he didn't really need to concentrate.

He could probably bandage up someone with his eyes closed now.

His door was thrown open and someone yelled, "Doctor! Dave's arm got broken!"

Risket thought about closing his eyes forever.

**6. Yell at Amatsuki**

When he was working, he saw less of Amatsuki. Risket wished he were working, because on his breaks, the young professor stuck by his side like glue. He felt a finger in his cheek and the doctor bit back a snarl.

"Riiiiiskyyyy—"

The nickname did it. Just something about that name made him shrivel up and die on the inside…

"Amatsuki, you have two seconds to get the _hell_ out of here before I come after your head…"

With an expression of a hunted bunny, the professor dashed out of the room in record time, and Risket plopped himself into a chair for some peace and quiet.

**7. Stare at dwindling funds**

Iris poked her head into the doctor's office with an inquiring glance. "Risket, are you alright in there?"

The doctor had a blank look on his face, eyes unfocused, but in front of him, the long list of inked words was probably a part of Shibusen's funds. However, there were definitely more debts than earnings and it was clear by the shining tears in Risket's eyes. The glasses did nothing to stop the tears from rolling down his cheeks.

"Why do I feel more like a secretary than a doctor…?" He wailed.

**8. Cry about life**

"Akatsuki, why is your brother so cruel to me…" Risket whined and rolled against the table like a small dog. In front of him, empty bottles of beer littered the counter as the neat-haired professor could only pat his back and sympathize. "And I keep getting these _maaassive_ headaches…"

Sage gently nudged the doctor's side. "You can switch positions with me. The NOT class this year is particularly docile…"

The doctor's eyes sparkled as he shot straight up, almost knocking Akatsuki off his chair. The drunken blush on his cheeks glowed in the dim light of the bar.

"Really?!" Risket looked so hopeful, and if he was part dog, his tail would've been wagging like crazy.

"Nah, I'm just joking with you," Sage laughed and the doctor sagged back onto his chair with a loud wail.

Akatsuki patted the doctor on the head with a pitying grin.

**9. Go back to sleep**

Risket stumbled into his bed. The heavy haze in his mind blocked all of his coherent thoughts, but he was sure he locked his door...he thought he did...maybe...?

The bed was too comfortable for him to get back up, and, climbing with all of his clothes still on into the comforter wasn't a terribly bad decision at all. The doctor was too relaxed and too exhausted to think about petty things like clothing changes...

He needed new glasses, didn't he..?

**10. Dream about weird things...**

No, none of this was real. Amatsuki was definitely not a small rabbit, and he was not a sheep. Akatsuki was not a moving lollipop and Sage was DEFINITELY not a large robot.

And they did not live in a tropical forest, so Risket figured it was one of his colorful dreams come to haunt him. Yes, it was, that was the only solution.

It was more of a nightmare, because Amatsuki wouldn't stop bouncing on his back...Oh, how Risket wished sheep had claws and humanoid limbs...

And the poor doctor woke up to loud banging and screaming the next day, without an inkling of what his dream was about...

_**rinse and repeat...**_


	8. 6- artificial enemy

**A/N:** Embarrassingly enough, I messed up on Aden Ambrose and Raymond, so I'm extremely sorry about that. I corrected it, though, so this chapter should be fine as well! This is longer, to make up for the last chapter, but I guess most of it is just battling...Also, more about Risket! :D Not necessarily good information but more about his past!

To **petit vanille**: I do that all the time! 8D I'm glad you're excited about this story though. Maybe he does, maybe he doesn't~ Hey, love-octagons have been done before...somewhere… *shifty eyes*

To **TheWalkingGnome**: That's good to hear! And maybe I do...Mwahaha! I'm definitely trying to build up tension and curiosity, so I'm glad I'm doing a good job on that. Although this chapter doesn't focus on the third group, there's a lot of backstory foreshadowing (and regular foreshadowing!) that happens in this chapter. Thanks for the continued support! :)

To **TheManInTheHat**: Thanks! I like the professors too, well, they are my OCs and it'd be troublesome if I didn't, right? xDD I hope you enjoy this one as much as the last!

To **sco23**: I'm glad you do!

To **Soul and Heart**: Fillers are always lovely surprises, but in small doses, am I right? They'll be kind of sporadic, but most of them will be posted after especially dramatic chapters xDD. I might put that in as well, but most of the fillers tend to be either 1. interactions with the students and more about them or 2. really depressing… Although that idea is awesome! There shall always be guessing games after each chapter! *poses* It's just a little thing to engage my readers in...If you don't want to answer, that's fine as well, though. Sage is being Sage, of course, but Sage is a mystery! And love shenanigans everywhere! A little bit of symbolism in his dreams, not a lot, but definitely a little. And yes, Risket does need to really get laid, but I don't think he likes going shirtless a lot~

To **petit vanille**: Risket is the cutest bae doctor professor I've ever made. I've only made one. XD Oh, he will smack Amatsuki without warning at some point… ;) I'm definitely making more of them now, since I want to do it, and two readers also want them~

To **Original509**: Enjoy the cookies 8D Don't forget jealous Muse in that polygon! Maybe your senses are right, I've hinted about them anyway. They are all dorks, adorable dorks. *sobbing* I'M REALLY SORRY ABOUT YOUR OC DID I SAY THAT IM SORRY QQQQQ *sobbing louder* I will definitely throw stuff at you when the fighting gets reaaaally intense XD!  
Might take you up on those chapters, but while the chapters are still light, I'll put those in. Be warned, the other fillers are really sad and they made me tear up and start to wonder why I made these characters! :DDD Risket is just…I dunno. I just like abusing him, it's kind of funny…? AM I A TERRIBLE PERSON? XD But I really am just alright at drawing, and since I just got a tablet, don't expect anything too fancy~

The drawings will also come sporadically, but I think since the story's rolling now, the chapters will come out a little more frequently. Also, because school is mostly projects and my major tests are basically done now! So there's that little joy. Sorry for making the A/N so long, but I love reading your guys' reviews and replying to them!

Now! I don't own the OCs that aren't mine! Enjoy the chapter!

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**.**

Sage clapped his hands together.

"Did you actually think we would be studying?" A wicked smile graced his face. All the students blinked confusedly. "I guess you actually took me seriously…"

He only laughed and tapped his desk. "No, we're not the NOT class, so what's the use of studying? You're going to need some practical knowledge and a lot of experience, since we've been lacking able students to hunt Corrupt Souls as well as Death Scythes."

Whispers spread through the class like wildfires.

"So, today, we're sparring!"

Loud cheers erupted through the classroom, namely Taeyang and Youya being the loudest. Chiyoko was too busy glaring at the black-haired boy to comment on Sage's words.

Slamming the desk three times, Sage got their attention again and quieted the classroom. "I'll be making a chart of who is versing who, but don't worry! The more experienced pairs," his eyes flickered towards Adeline and Wyatt, "will be fighting those of their caliber."

"Not only that, your first grade will be on how well you and your partner synchronize, as well as your techniques. I'm not expecting perfection, but I don't want to see cleaved arms or serious injuries, okay? Control yourself, but also your opponent." The professor's lips quirked up in a half-smile and grabbed the clipboard on the desk. "No questions?"

The class was silent, but some students were already standing up and stretching.

"We'll be using Training Grounds C, since A and B are being occupied for some reason..." Sage scratched his head and led the class out.

"Remember to keep it down in the halls!" The man called back and sent a pointed glare at Taeyang and Youya, who immediately quieted down with sheepish looks.

**xxx**

When they passed Training Ground A and B, all they could see was dust. But what they heard was loud clashing noises, rapid, fast, and indiscernible. It was very possible that all the dust was from the sparring or fighting going on.

Contrary, Training Ground C was completely bare and empty. It looked akin to a desert, without a speck of green on the sand-colored ground.

"Remember, careful with your weapons. Risket has enough on his plate than to take care of some more students with bleeding spleens," Sage reminded them, then situated himself behind the fenced off area of the training grounds. "Safety is first and don't let your emotions control you."

Sage scrawled something down on the clipboard, then pointed at Adeline and Wyatt. "So, more experienced EAT students, come forward."

Petra bounced down with Echo following her mutely as Adeline and Wyatt opened the chain link fence. It crackled under their hands and they grinned. They weren't normal fences, of course; They could feel the magic coursing through the metal.

"When I blow the whistle, you will begin sparring. If I see something wrong or if one of you is in danger, I will blow the whistle again. If you keep moving during this time, one of you is going to fail your first assignment and I'll be forced to intervene," Sage instructed them with a firm voice.

"They're really strict with the safety rules, aren't they?" From behind the fence, Raymond whispered to Aden and the blonde nodded.

"I think there were problems after Asura's awakening with some of the weapons—"

A hiss came from beside the two and Min shushed them with narrowed eyebrows. When she turned, her white hair in her high ponytail accidentally smacked the red-headed boy in the cheek and he made a muffled yelping noise.

However, when he looked up, the sparring had started.

Petra had lined the ground full of arrows as Adeline stood, her silver hair gleaming in the faint sunlight, with a sword and a shield in her hands. Their eyes darted over the ground as they analyzed the situation. The brunette obviously had the advantage in controlling the ground; by the red, pulsating arrows she just implanted, the training grounds had just become a minefield.

Adeline was at a clear disadvantage and she knew it. However, she nimbly backflipped out of the circle of explosive arrows, a smirk on her face. The only part that would trigger the explosion would be either tips or the ends, and with a skillful maneuver, she wiggled the arrows out of the ground and quickly threw them at Petra.

The girl dodged the attacks and they hit the fence with a resounding explosions that shook the ground everyone stood on.

"Heh," Petra grinned, and with a spin, she let loose a volley of arrows that barely grazed Adeline. The silverette was moving fast, zigzagging through the field as if it were her home.

Frowning, the bow-wielder flipped an arrow and shot it in the air. From it, a large net exploded in the air and plunged to the ground. With the unlimited uses of Echo's arrows, it was clear who would be the winner to almost everyone. It seemed as if Petra had all different types of arrows in her holster.

However, Adeline's smile grew and with a simple slash, the net fell apart and the brunette jumped backwards, startled. Her eyes fluttered from place to place, looking for something to use. She couldn't use her sharp arrows to strike the girl that was now rushing towards her, blade pointing at her.

"Sorry, Echo!"

They heard her yell and as the silverette brought the hilt of her sword down, Petra blocked it with the crossbow's metal part with a grimace, and watched as the gladius was hooked inside a crevice of her weapon.

"Alright!" The brunette yelled with a triumphant grin. Using Adeline's weight, Petra lifted herself up, as well as the surprised girl into a tumble that resulted in both meisters getting scratched up. Dust lined their clothing and Sage blew the whistle with a satisfied grin.

He clapped his hands, almost like a child, and motioned for the next pair to come up. Lin was clearly nervous, as Taeyang dragged her behind him with a deadpan expression. Youya was struggling not to laugh as Chiyoko slung her arm over his shoulder.

"Calm down, Lin," the black-haired male tried to soothe his panicking weapon, but she just shook her head.

"Chiyoko is a _freaking club with spikes on it aren't you going to get hurt oh my god_," Lin grabbed her face. "BUT I'M A HUGE CHAINSAW, OH MY GOD, YOUYA DON'T DIE IF TAEYANG SLASHES YOU, OKAY—"

Taeyang grabbed her tightly by the shoulders and stared into her eyes. "Chill, it's literally just a spar. I won't be using you a lot either. You saw Adeline and Petra's fight, right? They barely used their weapons, and if they did, they were almost non-lethal—"

"PETRA USED EXPLOSIVE ARROWS, WHAT—"

"Adeline's smart enough not to touch them and there aren't very many explosive things a spiky piece of metal can do!" He shouted in her face and she froze. If she weren't having a panic attack, he would've laughed at the comical expression on her face.

"Look," he sighed. "Sage is right there and he'll jump in if there are any problems. Not only that, Youya has enough sense not to bludgeon me to death. If he does, then he's been a great liar for a long, long time because he's had many, many chances to kill me." The brunette burst into another fit of laughter at Taeyang's words. Chiyoko only sauntered onto the field with a tilted head and a tapping foot.

"Also, I'm cool. My awesomeness is going to save me from any fatal injuries that I might have," he laughed and Lin felt herself relaxing. Just slightly. Perhaps he wasn't so bad after all, when he wasn't joking around like a madman.

Sage tapped the clipboard and put the whistle to his mouth as the pairs situated themselves.

The whistle blew and Lin transformed and landed smoothly into Taeyang's hands. With a loud whirring noise, the sharp blades rotated quickly as Youya spun around a morning star, the long spikes gleaming with lethality. Gasps came from the watching students, since a chainsaw was obviously a lot flashier than a club weapon.

However, Taeyang was a little unused to the heavy weight of Lin the chainsaw and he lopsidedly swung her around experimentally, his jaw tight. Youya moved backwards with a grin and quickly dashed to the side, his movements fluid and easy. Chiyoko fit like a glove, and he easily kicked the black-haired male on the side. Taeyang crashed into the fence rather painfully, but adjusted to the weight of the whirring weapon in a moment, stumbling to the side slightly to regain his balance.

"Alright!" He hefted the weapon with two hands and sprinted towards Youya, who was obviously ready. However, he wasn't ready for the digging of the chainsaw into the ground, which created a dust cloud that blinded the brunette.

"S-shoot!" The brunette coughed violently, covering his mouth and in that instant, a punch landed on his arm, launching him backwards. However, he dug his feet into the ground and somehow found a purchase on the sandy ground. He blocked several punches messily, still encumbered by the dust cloud that seemed like it followed him.

It was clear that Taeyang had him pinned down, now, as Youya crashed to the floor. However, he brought his legs up and knee'd his friend in the back, which, with a painful grunt, made the black-haired male roll off of him.

A whistle blew and Lin quickly transformed back with a panicky expression. "T-Taeyang! Are you okay?" She blinked and shook the shoulders of the limp male.

"Youya's knees are really hard…" He groaned and got up. "But fair enough, I think he'll have a couple bruises though."

Both of them awkwardly limped back to the fence area where Petra and the others were standing. The brunette gave both the males a wide grin and a pat on the back. Taeyang winced but accepted it soundlessly.

Sage yelled, "Next pair?"

Himi stood up, her robes swishing. Itsu was behind her and both of them looked determinedly ready. As they walked, behind them, Johnathan and Min silently followed them. It was almost as if they were predetermined to fight, because Raymond and Aden exchanged glances. They would have to fight each other…

"We are ready," the black-haired girl called out and faced forwards. The dark-skinned male in front of her looked very serious and she felt her chin raising slightly. Itsu bowed, just as the whistle blew, and in seconds, their weapons had transformed.

A long polearm rested in John's hands, the long, white tassel at the end the only indication that Min was the weapon. His face reflected almost no emotion, just a cool burning of determination in his dark eyes.

However, Himi's face was uncharacteristically twisted in an almost sadistically happy grin. Clothing her fists, a pair of tiger claws gleamed and without further ado, she lunged. It looked very strange, with her elegant appearance paired with such a brutal weapon, but as the dark-skinned boy dodged and the girl's fist collided with the ground, the sandy soil blasted upwards from the impact.

Bystanders gaped at the spectacle and only continued being amazed as the rather small girl was almost completely overpowering the dark-skinned male. All he could do was dodge and hope that she missed. Despite the reach of the polearm he wielded, he had close to no practical application, only sparring with training dummies that didn't move.

Himi wasn't a stationary target; in fact, she got so close to John that she flicked his cheek once, before appearing on his right to deliver a quick kick to his chest.

He grunted and slid against the ground. Spinning the polearm, he dug his feet into the ground and launched himself off, the blade of his weapon clashing against Himi's raised claws. She scowled, but yelped as she was knee'd in the stomach into the fence. A groan escaped her lips as she stumbled back onto her feet, but she pulled up her robes and rushed towards John again.

As he prepared, she ducked lower and when his polearm came slamming down, the hilt only hit air, as she had turned and rammed her shoulder into his side.

John bit his lip painfully as he stifled a grunt of pain from the sudden impact on his ribs and just as he was about to counter-attack, Sage blew the whistle and Himi's eyes cleared. The red of her eyes were as clear as they were before and the dark-skinned boy only tightened his lips and turned away. Min materialized by his side and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Thanks," John muttered and with his hands in his pockets and the white-haired girl's serious expression softened.

Himi was breathing hard with a strangely wide smile on her face. "I-Itsu! That was exhilarating, it has been a long time since I've moved around..." Her weapon smiled from behind the veil and softly ruffled the shorter girl's hair, which she pouted at.

"You did well, my lady." As the two walked by the sitting pairs, Itsu noticed Lin staring at him slightly and he smiled slightly, before falling in step with his meister.

He didn't notice her avert her gaze and blush slightly.

Sage stood up and wiped his brow, squinting his eyes. "Redhead! Blondie!" It's your guys' turn!"

Aden was the first to rise and together, he and Mino walked out confidently. Satoko, on the other hand, tossed Raymond a glare and a twitch of her hand. The redheaded boy only sheepishly followed her, surreptitiously watching the others' reaction.

Petra had a sympathetic look on her face, while the others stared confusedly. Even from the distance, he could hear them whispering to each other:

"I'd have expected Aden to be with Raymond..."

"I know right? Satoko doesn't seem like she likes the poor kid,"

"I'd switch partners right away."

Satoko's grimly pressed lips turned into a larger scowl.

"Alright," Sage called, slightly muffled from the whistle in his mouth. "Start!"

Before transforming, Raymond gave Aden a thumbs-up, then became a handgun that rested easily in Satoko's hands. The dark-haired girl looked pained when she saw the long dagger-like knife in Aden's tight grip.

Aden rushed forwards, the hilt pointed towards Satoko. She moved backwards, twisting her body to avoid the boy. But she miscalculated, and his other arm moved to grab her, pulling her off-balance.

Panicking, she shot a couple of bullets that grazed Aden's arm and for the first time, blood smeared the ground. The blonde winced and suddenly, he hesitated, his eyes narrowing.

He hissed, "Mino!" And then resumed combat, his other arm pressing against the skin wound. Satoko's eyes were wide and her hands were shaking slightly as she switched Raymond back and forth between her hands.

Sage looked worried, his eyes flickering back and forth from the fight to the gate beside him. The whistle was still in his mouth.

Suddenly, Aden jerked slightly forward and his previous expression looked panicked. The bullets had apparently not only hit his skin, but his muscle as well. Blood was spilling onto the ground faster now and it was clear something was going wrong.

"M-Mino!" Satoko yelled and moved closer to the pair, but Aden stared at her, his expression different. A black aura had begun to form around the knife in his hands and the blonde's normally hazel eyes were flickering from hazel to red.

Sage blew the whistle and quickly got up. "Someone, alert Shinigami-sama!" He pulled off his jacket with a frown and as he moved to jump into the training ground, a claymore came spinning through the air to bury itself in front of Aden. At seeing this, a confident smile spread across his face, and seeing that his students weren't responding, he rushed off to find the Death God.

The blonde was taken aback and Satoko took the chance to retreat. The black aura had intensified, but the wound on Aden's shoulder was starting to seal itself up. Red eyes flashed and suddenly, the lithe blonde moved a lot faster, swerving past the large sword, but before he could attack Satoko, a blur went behind him and someone else grabbed his arm and pulled it behind him painfully.

"G-Garrett!" Adeline cried out. The claymore transformed into a girl with messy dark purple hair with a lopsided grin. "Kanaya!"

"Seems like 'ol Professor got into a little trouble when I was gone," the black-haired Garrett smirked and as Aden struggled against him, he grabbed the other arm in a handcuff hold. "Who's got a seal?"

Himi quickly entered the grounds with a worried look. In her hands, she held a several tags and skull objects that looked like a pins.

Throwing several at Kanaya, the girl swiftly caught them and while Garrett had Aden trapped, she stuck a tag on his chest, pinning one of the skulls to the tag.

Immediately, black rope-like material sprung from the pin and wrapped around Aden's body, his arm yanked behind him and his legs immobile. Raymond had transformed out of his weapon form and left his paralyzed meister to rush towards his friend.

Garrett wrestled Mino from Aden's grasp and as soon as he did, the black-haired male's eyes flashed, but not red. If possible, his blue eyes became bluer and the black aura that surrounded the knife diminished slightly. Kanaya's purple eyes were narrowed as she watched both Raymond fuss over the knocked-out Aden and the scene unfolding before her.

Sage had returned, with Iris in tow, who was carrying with ease, two cots, despite her limp. Both of them had steel-cold looks on their faces as they entered the training grounds.

"Did Shinigami-sama _know_ that they had Corrupted blood in them?" Iris snarled uncharacteristically. "That was reckless of you, Sage! I thought you checked all of them!"

The black-haired male frowned deeply. "I thought Shinigami-sama had them all cleared, so I didn't—"

Iris just sent him a piercing glare and Sage retreated back with a kicked-puppy look on his face.

The black aura around Mino had disappeared and the second it did, she transformed out of her knife form back into her human form. A sheen of sweat was spread over her face and she was breathing heavily, her eyebrows creased. It looked like she was having a nightmare and that she was just asleep. Her dark hair was plastered over her forehead and her skin appeared slightly discolored. Just in case, Garrett sealed her as well, the black ropes securing her body.

Satoko rushed to her side, her eyes desperate and her palms sweaty. "Will she be okay?!" It was the first time anyone had heard her talk, but judging by the grave looks on everyone's face, she wasn't going to get an answer.

Garrett tilted his head back with a sigh. "Man, we hunted two Corrupt nests today too. Guess it's pretty busy now, wonder why…" Kanaya slung an arm over his shoulder, surprisingly cheerful, and pressed her cheek against his.

"It's not like we got hurt or anything!" She grinned and the black-haired boy blushed but flicked her with a smile.

"Yeah…"

Iris quickly unfolded the cots and signaled for Raymond and Satoko to load them on. Sage helped the redhead slip Aden onto one of them and Satoko herself lifted her sister onto the cot.

"We should see Risket about this. I'm…I'm not too sure I can do anything to help them," the black-haired woman apologized and as they went off, they left the mildly panicking students and Sage behind.

Meanwhile, Sage just looked tired. He pulled at his shirt and by the expression on his face, looked kind of like he was sulking. Just slightly, because the look disappeared in a moment when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

Garrett tilted his head to the side, Kanaya doing the same. "So, Professor, who're we sparring?"

"Observant as always," the professor barked a soft laugh. "A different pair was going to, but it looks like Risket pulled them out. They were in Training Grounds A and B... Right now, I think that can wait. You'll be sparring me tomorrow, though," A hesitant smile spread on his face, while Garrett looked absolutely gleeful.

"Awesome."

**xxx**

"Just put them here," Iris directed. She felt a rush of sympathy at seeing the looks on the two students' faces; Raymond looked like he was about to cry, while Satoko was genuinely crying. The black-haired girl's hand was gripping onto her sister's as her other hand brushed away the strands of hair from Mino's forehead. "You...can leave. I think it's better for you two if you do."

Satoko opened her mouth to object, but Raymond, with a surprisingly serious face, nodded. "C'mon, Satoko. Risket will do what he can to heal them and I'm sure he'll be able to."

The taller girl's eyes were wide as she was forcefully led out of the room and Iris just watched them leave, flinching slightly as the door slammed.

The doctor's office door was closed and the black-haired nurse almost tiptoed towards it. It was oddly silent in the room; normally, Risket was groaning or a student was wailing in pain, or maybe it was both because that was the most frequent. If Iris dropped a needle, she would've heard it.

Knocking on the door, she waiting a couple of moments, but there was no reply.

"I'm sure he went in here after he was in the training grounds…" Iris murmured and pushed open the door.

The first thing she saw was a large skull, black and ugly, right on Risket's chest over his heart. He was facing the door and was in the process of pulling a shirt over his head and thus, didn't see her. The skull was eerily similar to the seal tags that Garrett had put on Aden and Mino. Iris' eyes went wide and saw the black chain-like extensions that wrapped around Risket's body. But they were in his skin, imbedded within, because nothing was clearly protruding from him.

"I-Iris?"

Skewed glasses and a mildly surprised expression appeared on Risket's face. He noticed the shocked look on the nurse's face and he sighed with a rueful grin.

"Don't tell anyone about it, okay? I'm sure I can trust you with this, because I don't think anyone else will take this information well. Especially Amatsuki," he said. His voice was oddly flat and he moved to stand up, bringing with him his labcoat.

"What did you need?" The doctor adjusted the coat, peering at Iris, who had recovered from her shock. She was still confused and her head was full of questions, but she didn't dare ask. Instead, the woman just opened her mouth to tell Risket of the events that occurred.

"Aden and Mino...there was a problem in the training grounds…having to do with Corrupt blood..."

The doctor's hand clenched.

"This is bad."

**.**

**.**

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**A/N:** How was that chapter? xD I hope it raised a lot of questions about some characters' and their backstories'. If your characters seem a little weak, I promise that that'll change by the end of the story D: For this chapter's guessing game….

What's Corrupted blood? And what about a Corrupt nest? New things that popped up after Asura's awakening? Also, what's up with Risket and the skull?

As always, drop a review if you liked/disliked the chapter~


	9. 7- distant fields

**A/N:** GUYS GUYS GUYS, I know this is a little noobish and scrub but I'm really excited 'cause we've breached 1,500 views in total of these 8 chapters! It's not a lot, but it's a lot to me, since most of my stories average ~700-800 views. I'm really hyped and thanks to those that constantly read for updates! If you're enjoying the story, please leave a review saying whether or not you like the way I'm narrating it or any changes you'd like to see. It really motivates me and helps me write! Sorry about the late chapter, I wanted to ask **Original509** about one of her characters being changed a little with the Soul Resonance, but I couldn't wait, so I really hope you don't mind!

To **Original509**: Ah, I just feel kind of bad for messing up on someone else's character. If it happened to mine, I'd be a little annoyed, so I really try to stay in-character and not make mistakes. Sorry about Aden, he just had to be the victim this time :P And maybe not…. You'd better read to find out! xD

To **Soul and Heart**: That will most definitely be revealed later, like all the other mystery questions I've asked in the past chapters~ Who knows who already knows about the mark, I'm pretty sure everyone has their own secrets in Shibusen… Of course, feel free to ship Iris and Risket together, they'd be the most sane couple, in terms of sticking professors together anyway…  
To be honest, I think everyone would totally like Itsu… 8) He's super nice and stuff and *keyboard smash* ANYWAY. You're on the right track with the blood and the nests, but a little off on some parts~ I've always liked reading your guesses!

To **TheWalkingGnome**: Thanks! Glad you liked the fighting scenes, I find those hard to write because it's a lot easier to picture them, rather than to write them down in words. A lot of stuff I can't fit in, you know… D:  
But why not affirm something for once; Corrupted blood is definitely something remaining after Asura's awakening. You're hitting the nail closer on the Corrupt nest. This chapter goes a little further on that explanation, but not completely, just to keep you all on your toes :3  
Risky baby, don't go craaaazyyy...But yeah. Um. Maybe? He probably won't destroy the world, but he'll definitely destroy something… *shifty eyes*

To **PreciousCow**: Thanks~ I hope you don't think it's a copy of the Black Blood! After all, that would be really bad planning on my part… And your questions also never fail to amaze me. Of course, the seal is inside him, so maybe that has something to do with it not binding his arms/legs? :) Can't reveal anything yet!

Well, this chapter was churned out a little later than expected, unfortunately… If there are any jarring mistakes, please put them down as a review or a PM. As always, I don't own any characters except for my OCs and the plot is kind of mine? :D Enjoy!

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**.**

Satoko was at her sister's side every day, waiting.

"She will be okay, right?" Despite the many times she had asked the same question, her quiet voice was unusually shaky today and Risket only shifted his body slightly, wincing as the bandage wrapped around his right arm loosened from his movements.

"I told you, she's used to the Blood already, so she will be okay. A weeks' worth of rest should make her as good as new. You can go back to class, Satoko," the doctor said wearily. Every day, she was here, but he couldn't help but feel a little jealous. Mino had someone to wait for her to get better.

The doctor shooed the girl out with an unamused face. Surely Sage had chastised her? He really wasn't sure if he was the type to do so, but judging by his glum expression after Iris' scolding, he wasn't ready to yell at others anyway. When he turned back, his eyes drifted to Aden, the poor blonde that was slumbering peacefully.

His forehead was no longer creased and his expression had softened, which meant he was a little more comfortable than the last day.

Risket remembered the redhead, _Raymond_, that had come to visit Aden the other day. He had left a couple flowers and the doctor put them in a vase he randomly found when wandering the school once. The design was quite pretty: a nice pastel blue with cloud-like wisps of white. The flowers were simple: white gardenias. He wasn't even sure where the kid found them.

What was certain was that Aden didn't have Corrupted blood. Risket had tested him and proved it. Normal, red blood, untainted by madness. It was just the girl that had affected his wavelength and Risket flopped back onto the chair, exhausted.

"Should've had someone else spar those two the other week," he muttered, staring at his bandaged arm. "They're too powerful together, honestly. Almost had to release the seal." The doctor patted his chest and sighed.

"Too bad the twins are on their mission."

Risket would never admit out loud that the silent office was a little lonely without them.

**xxx**

"I'm real ready, Professor! Any day now!" Garrett called, a hand on his hip.

A confident smirk spread over the black-haired male's face as Kanaya transformed into her weapon form. Easily swinging her around, he rested the flat side against his shoulder, his expression drooping slightly. Sage was still talking to Iris, who looked slightly miffed. He couldn't hear what they were talking about, but it was probably about the other day.

However, to Garrett's excitement, the two black-haired adults strode into the ring.

"Alright," Sage said and beckoned with his arm towards the nurse beside him. She just sent him a muted glare, before transforming into sickle. He winced slightly as he swung her around experimentally. "Not bad, not bad, better than last time," he muttered, then pouted childishly.

Garrett was done with the wait, though. Ignoring the conversation the two were having, he rushed forwards, his claymore at the ready.

Swinging it around, he aimed a wide strike at the professor's side, but was blocked by a sickle that began twisting the weapon out of his hands. However, he went with the flow and flipped over, landing smoothly and jerking the sword out of the sickle's grip. Sage slid backwards and launched himself back towards Garrett, who wasn't quite on-balance yet.

The black-haired man quickly hit Garrett's back, sending him flying towards the fence. However, with a quick twist of his body, the student landed with his feet against the chain links, bouncing with a higher velocity towards the professor.

Metal against metal, the sound of clashing weapons filled the grounds. The impact of the claymore against the sickle made Sage flinch slightly, but his grey eyes flickered with an undying fire. A smile stretched on his lips as his muscles adjusted to fighting.

"Rusty, _Professor_?" The smirk on Garrett's face made Sage's blood boil.

"Not at all, _kid_," Sage spit back with a confident narrow of his eyes.

"Let's go all out, then!" His excited yell brought something animalistic in the professor into the open. Fists tightening, blood rushing as adrenaline pumped in his system. Sage wasn't made for simple teaching; he lived and breathed sparring, fighting, movement…

"**Soul Resonance**!"

The sheer power of both participants blew up most of the soil in the area, the wind stirring up the ground from a smooth surface to a jagged landscape. The wind continued to circle around the two of them and their souls flared up brighter.

The sickle had transformed into more of a larger scythe, with an artistic design decorating the sides. However, Kanaya's form had changed into a slimmer, longer version of herself. The original grayish color of her blade was now a bright white and glowing.

"Bring it on," Garrett grinned and lunged first at Sage. He moved in a zigzag pattern, making Sage rush on headforwards. However, the professor swung his scythe, releasing a slice of wind that solidified as it flew towards the black-haired student.

Garrett leapt up to avoid it, but was suddenly face-to-face with Sage, who had used it to his advantage. With a swift kick, he sent his student barrelling to the ground, but Garrett rolled on the ground, using the claymore to steady himself. Leaping up, he slammed his sword into the ground.

A large shockwave disrupted the ground, shaking the ground that Sage landed on.

"Shit, that's new," the professor muttered as he tried to steady himself. He wasn't ready to dodge Garrett's slashing onslaught, so he jumped backwards, spinning the sickle.

_He's gotten a lot better,_ Iris' voice echoed in his mind and Sage nodded.

"All the Corrupted nest hunting probably did him some good," he replied, and narrowly blocked Garrett's slash. The power behind the claymore was almost matching his, but Sage managed to push him away.

But he was too focused on dodging the claymore that he forgot Garrett. The black-haired boy managed to knee the professor straight in the gut. Choking from the impact, Sage wiped his mouth with his hand, analyzing the battle.

Garrett stood up with a cocky look. "Done, Professor?"

"In your dreams," the smirk returned full-force on Sage's face. The man lowered the scythe to the ground and sent a wind current straight to the ground, forming a cloud of sand that sent Garrett into a sneezing fit.

"You cheap bastard—"

Garrett raised his claymore fast enough to block Sage's hit.

"You said 'all out,' right?" The professor shot back, and twisted the scythe around, loosening Garrett's grip.

However, with a tighten of his hands, suddenly, a shockwave blasted out from the claymore, knocking Sage backwards. "Next time, we'll send a shock through your system!" Garrett shouted. _Yeah!_ Kanaya echoed. "Kanaya, I'm trying to sound cool, okay—"

He was interrupted with another clash of scythe-against-sword as he struggled to push back Sage. Digging his feet into the ground, he pushed all his weight against the professor, but suddenly, he fell straight past him, stumbling. The older, more experienced man took the advantage to strike him quickly on the back with an open palm.

Garrett sprawled on the ground, dirt caking the side of his cheek and messing up his hair. When he looked up, the scythe was pointed next to his neck and he froze. The look in Sage's eyes was almost chillingly cold, as if he wasn't sparring, but rather, fighting to the death. However, in a second, the expression disappeared and warmth flooded those eyes again.

"Guess I'm still stronger, squirt," the professor teased and the boy felt a grimace surfacing.

"Ugh, you were just lucky again," Garrett huffed and Kanaya transformed back with a flash. She brushed off stray pieces of dirt from her black, pleated skirt and a pout formed on her lips.

"Yeah, Professor. If Garrett wasn't going easy on you, you would've been obliterated just like that!" The purplette snapped her fingers and paired it with a smile. Iris reverted back into her normal form and straightened her hair with a small smile, watching the students' interactions.

It always felt like she was a little detached from all of them, truthfully speaking.

Kanaya pulled up her meister, brushing some of the dirt off of his clothes. Garrett shooed her hands away, especially when she faked reaching for the belt of his pants. A blush stained his cheeks and he furiously batted her hands away, much to her amusement.

"You got stronger, I have to admit," Sage remarked, his hands behind his head. They were strolling out of the training grounds, watching several workers attempt to repair the damage they did to the field.

"Of course," Garrett replied cockily, flexing his muscles fabulously. "Corrupt nests are the worst...We can only handle newer ones easily, but we've been working on the Soul Resonance for a while, so we got some new tricks in."

"I could see that," Iris chimed in. "I'm surprised Sage could even match my wavelength this time. Normally he's so hyped about sparring that—"

The black-haired professor quickly covered her mouth, muffling the squeak that escaped the woman's mouth. Embarrassment was clear on the professor's face, but he quickly turned it around, pinpointing Garrett as the next unlucky victim.

"Ah, man, I remember when you were just a l'il student in the NOT class, struggling to wield a blunt weapon, man, you were cute—" With a fist, a profusely blushing Garrett shut up Sage with a well-timed fist to the side.

"H-hey! Shut up, Professor!" He turned to his weapon with a flustered look. "I-I didn't work hard just to wield you, no way! You just happened to be there," the black-haired boy stuck his nose in the air, but Kanaya just laughed loudly at the embarrassed blush that colored his face. Iris hid her smile behind a delicate hand.

"Sure, sure," she slung an arm over his shoulders and quickly pressed a kiss to his cheek. "But I believe Professor more than you."

"H-hey! No way, how can you—"

"Kidding!"

**xxx**

The day was not spent awry and bright laughter rang out, matching the deep blue sky illuminated by the sleepily laughing sun.

Petra jostled Adeline with a grin on her face, while Echo and Wyatt hung behind. The purplette had her nose buried in a book, but occasionally, her eyes flickered up to watch her step-sister frolic around. Wyatt simply looked pensive, gaze focused on the barest traces of clouds dotting the sky.

"I know, right? And I _cannot_ believe that Shinigami-sama didn't punish him for that!" The brunette rolled her eyes, but couldn't contain her laughter. Strolling along, it was just an average day for them, having fun and being friends.

It was natural. There weren't as many missions, but they felt that they had to enjoy themselves now, before it was too late.

Peaceful days never lasted long in Death City, after all.

"Hey, guys, do you want something to drink?" Adeline called behind her and Wyatt snapped out of his reverie. Echo only glanced up from her book with a tilt of her head.

"Sure, I don't mind," The blonde-haired male smiled and spotted the Deathbucks Cafe. Echo's eyes gleamed and Petra hesitated, before grabbing onto the purplette's arm.

"Let's get coffee," she murmured without looking Echo in the eye.

"Alright," the purple-haired girl felt her heart flutter a little, before smiling at absolutely nothing.

"Oi, I'll pay then?" Wyatt thumbed through his wallet, already standing in line. Adeline only clapped her hands joyfully, bouncing up and down, while Petra fiercely negotiated with him.

"Hey, I can pay for my own stuff, you know!"  
"C-calm down, Petra. I just wanted to—"  
"No, no, no! I'm gonna pay for Echo's!"  
"O-okay, sheesh... Guess it's just Adeline's I need to get then…"  
"Are you feeling sad about that? If so, then pay for mine—"  
"_I told you, brickhead, I'm paying for yours!_"

Ten minutes later, the four of them were back on the main road, slurping happily at their respective drinks.

"Is it just me, or are you two getting friendlier with each other?" Adeline asked in-between sips. The blonde male beside her looked mildly interested in the conversation after hearing that and looked at the two sisters.

"Eh." Both of them had deadpan looks on their faces. "Just tolerable."

"Looks like you're more than tolerable to each other now," Adeline smirked slightly and Petra only rolled her eyes.

"Someone's gotta take responsibility for this," her finger jerked towards the quiet girl who sent her sister a cold glare.

"Those are my lines—"

Wyatt quickly stepped in-between them with a sheepish grin. "Hey, how about we don't fight about this?"

Echo pressed her lips into a line, then promptly turned away. "I agree. It would ruin a fine day." Petra only looked away with a sulky expression.

Just then, Adeline squinted, then waved. A small head of red bobbed up and down, but as they got closer, it slowly cleared to reveal Raymond, who was standing outside a flower shop with a bouquet in his hands.

"Is that for a girl?" The silverette's eyes widened and glinted devilishly. "Who's the lucky one?"

Raymond only looked down and blushed. "N-no, it's not. Aden's still in the hospital, recovering, so I thought it would brighten up the room with...flowers…?" His trailing sentence ended in a question, in which Petra just giggled at.

"How cute!" Adeline squealed. "Aden has a boyf—"

"I-It's nothing like that?!" The redhead's voice squeaked as he indignantly shouted, attracting several bystanders' attention. His cheeks had turned almost as scarlet as his hair. "W-we're friends!"

Wyatt stepped up and rested a hand on his meister's head. "Shut up, Adeline," he chastised her with a light grin. "You just like to tease, don't you. I think it's great that Aden has a caring friend. He's always been a little air-headed."

"Go along!" Petra chimed in with a grin. Echo stayed behind with a strange look in her eyes, staring at Raymond. The red-haired boy didn't notice her gaze, though, and nodded enthusiastically.

"Thanks," he grinned, his cheeks still pink, and then turned to take off, the bouquet of sunflowers bouncing in his hands.

"He's so cute, look at him," the silverette cried out, grabbing Wyatt's arm. "Look, look, he's looks so happy just running—"

Wyatt bonked her head with a fist. "Boys aren't supposed to be cute, you know."

"Are you jealous—"  
"Absolutely not."

Echo's lips twitched upwards. It was true that Raymond was quite cute, but maybe for a different reason than what Adeline was referring to...

**xxx**

The two professors on their mission found themselves surrounded.

They had run head-first, unprepared, into a Corrupted nest.

Spanning miles of open, desecrated space, Corrupted souls wandered, the pit of madness fermenting in one of the monsters, affecting all of them. But with the unwelcome entrance of the twins, their neutrality became hostile.

Red eyes glared at them as the two professors were apprehended. At first, Akatsuki had no trouble slashing past all of them, wielding his brother, but after coloring the barren landscape red, the numbers were only increasing...

"This'll need two people!" Akatsuki yelled out, and with a flash, Amatsuki transformed back into his human form. The wind-and-fire wheels disappeared from the younger professor's hands. Around them, massive forms of Corrupted beings kept rising, red eyes flashing dangerously. "Goddamn Corrupt nests..."

"No problem," Amatsuki tilted his head up and snapped his goggles onto his eyes. "We're a strong team, so no way we'll lose!"

With that, he dove into the crowd of enemies. Within seconds, the group that had attempted to touch the professor were ripped into shreds. He was wielding a pair of his own wind-and-fire wheels, easily slicing through the Madness-influenced creatures. Some of them didn't even look human, which meant that the nest had festered for a long, long time.

Meanwhile, Akatsuki had assumed a neutral stance, before his body was swallowed from view by the lurching enemies around him. However, a loud whistling noise sounded and immediately, the bodies were blown away from him. Akatsuki's hands were glowing slightly and within a radius of him, the monsters that tried to enter that space were brutally cut back by an invisible force.

The older twin landed next to his brother, goggles spattered with blood on one side. "Always liked your Wavelength technique. What'd you call it before?" He raised the sleeve of his jacket to wipe away at the stain.

"You know what it is, Ama," the younger twin closed his eyes, still in the same position. "Going to join me?"

"Of course. There's no way I'd refuse," Amatsuki transformed back into a weapon and despite the monsters now closing in, their numbers significantly diminished, Akatsuki still hadn't moved.

"**Soul Resonance**."

With the mere uttering of those words, the strong wavelength that exploded from the two blew away the majority of the Corrupted beings, leaving only the strongest: the most Corrupt, the most insane, the ones that were dragged down into the pits of madness from Asura's awakening. Those that were, didn't have any traces of human left in them, and as Akatsuki scanned their souls, it was clear that there was no blue left.

_These guys are shrimps, aren't they?_ Amatsuki laughed in his head, resting comfortably in weapon form in the tight grip of his younger twin's hands. _I think we hardly need to try to defeat them._

"Probably," Akatsuki's eyes were closed. "In that case, I don't have to open my eyes, right?"

A hissing to his right was quickly silenced with a flick of his arm. The sharp protrusions in the wheels had easily sliced through the thick hide of the creature that dared to attack. However, from above, a whistling noise, the sound of a body falling to the ground with a weapon at the ready that Akatsuki swerved to avoid.

"1," the younger professor called out, eyebrows scrunched downwards. Behind him, the remains of a diced-up monster lay in a pool of blood.

"2," Akatsuki launched himself forwards, barely brushing past an outstretched claw. However, he twisted his body and with an unmatchable speed and the weapon pierced almost through the creature.

"3," he murmured as blood washed over him. The shining metal of the wheels in his hands were no longer shiny. "How many more?"

_8, _Amatsuki's echoing voice made the younger twin smile inconspicuously. _Not bad compared to the last one we had to deal with._

"4." Akatsuki nodded, pulling out the left wheel that was stuck in the body that had leaped at him eagerly. "They're a lot weaker now, for some reason, but the numbers are definitely increasing.

_5,_ Amatsuki's voice chimed happily as his brother ripped another creature in half.

"6, 7," In successive barks, Akatsuki dashed past two enemies attempting to flank him. Their plans, unfortunately for them, resulted in their souls being absorbed by the weapons in his hands.

_Aaaaand 8!_ The happy chirp in the older man's voice made the younger brother crack a smile. Blood covered Akatsuki from head-to-toe, red like a human's, but it really wasn't. The stench was putrid and when Amatsuki reverted to human form, the grimace on his face was unmistakable.

"Smells like—Shit, Aka, DUCK!"

Amatsuki leapt over his brother, tackling a Corrupted Soul that had managed to somehow avoid detection and the initial Wavelength shock. The younger professor's hands shook as he watched his brother brutally ravage the monster. He hadn't materialized his weapon for some reason, and only his fist bashed in the face of the mangled _thing_.

However, it looked kind of humanoid. A few tufts of hair was still left on the semi-rounded scalp of the monster, but they were all gray and greasy. The protrusions around the creatures' eyes almost resembled glasses, but by the time Akatsuki peered closer, the face was just a bloody mess.

"A-Amatsuki, it's dead!" The panicked yelp of Akatsuki rang out as he realized that blood from the breaking skin of Amatsuki's fist was mixing in with the Corrupted blood.

The messy-haired man seemingly didn't hear him, as the rhythm of his punches didn't hesitate for a moment.

"Brother!"

At that, Amatsuki flinched. He sat back, his body limp and his shoulders sagging. At least he wasn't hurting himself with his own punches now. His clothes were almost as stained as Akatsuki's now, which repulsed the younger professor, but he still stepped closer to him, inhaling the metallic scent of fresh blood.

"Ama—"

"He looks like him so it feels like I'm killing _him_, _you know?_" A smile stretched over the professor's face and Akatsuki clenched his jaw. He knew that expression very well. The smile didn't reach his eyes. It was a while since he had seen that smile. Cold, cold eyes stared back at him and a chill ran down his spine.

But Amatsuki would never hurt him. _Never._

"It's not a bad feeling at all." The whisper was almost inaudible. "Let's go _home_," Amatsuki continued in the same soft, almost pleading, tone. But Akatsuki shook his head and tugged his older brother along. The older twin. The one always protecting him.

Akatsuki replied, his eyes just barely glancing back at the corpses that lay disintegrating on the ground, their souls ripped from their very existence, "You know that home doesn't exist anymore, brother."

**.**

**.**

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**A/N:** *muted screaming* MORE FORESHADOWING, AUTHORESS WHYYYy?! I'm sorry! *wails* I can't help but make everything terribly mysterious and things and I hope I don't lose reviewers that are like, "omg just tell me everything already!11!one!1!" Also! Another filler will be used in the next chapter, to make up for the lateness of this chapter. However, I will be taking "filler-requests," to kind of name them.

Basically, if you want a filler to be kind of in-depth on your character a little, just put it in as a review or a PM, with whatever past scene you want or something and I'll be happy to write it in! I will be adding a bit to everyone's character, so if you don't mind… *shifty eyes*...

Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Questions are: Who does Amatsuki hate? He's too happy and joking and and and *breaks down* to hate someone…! What are the twins' mission? Who's your favorite pairing and why, so far, at least? :333

Thanks for reading and don't forget to leave a review for this happy authoress~


	10. Filler 2: Garrett Kalay

**it's not like i want you to look at me**

Garrett was not always confident. He was not always the strong, sound-minded, calm individual he was in the present.

When he looked back at himself, he realized what a wimp he was, how easily they bullied him into doing the most mundane things. He realized that he could've stood up for himself, instead of letting _her _barge into his life uninvited.

But Garrett realized that without her, he wouldn't have tried so hard. He wouldn't have spent hours and hours meditating, hoping to some higher power up there that he could advance to the EAT Class. He belonged in the NOT Class, before.

The students, the more privileged ones, bullied him because they were stronger. He was not sound of body, soul, and mind. He couldn't even wield the bluntest of weapons, even if they were the pushovers like him.

Garrett Kalay didn't fit in. He wondered why he was in Shibusen in the first place, as their fists rained on his body. He didn't know why he stayed, when he looked in the mirror and saw the bruises and the cuts on his body.

But she barged into his life suddenly. A meteor shower, a sudden eclipse. The axis his world revolved around broke like a toothpick snapped in half. What was left was burned because she became his beacon, the warmest light he had ever seen.

She was _everything_.

Kanaya Kuroki. Purple hair, purple eyes, brightest eyes out of all of them. _Most beautiful,_ he thought.

Those bullies didn't even know what was coming to them. Quick as lightning, she knocked them all out with a scoff and spit on their prone bodies. The disdain in her eyes was so clear that even now, he remembers it.

He remembered he flinched when she turned towards him, but instead of a punch, he received a hand. An open palm, fingers outstretched. She told him to _take my hand, I'll fix you up, the name's Kanaya Kuroki, call me Kanaya, though,_ but the thing he remembered most was the smile that would forever stay etched in his mind. Even in the present, Garrett wanted to preserve that smile to see it every day.

She was the first to reach out to him, and after that, the bullies were more cautious about their way of pushing him around. It didn't stop, until Sage intervened.

He was the NOT Professor, a guy that Garrett looked up to. Calm, cool, the perfect meister, it seemed. Those eyes never betrayed anything except the most positive emotions, but Garrett was sure there was something that hurt him before. It didn't matter, but the curiosity never strayed.

It changed when the bullies were extorting money from him in the classroom.

Sage came early, dropping the books on the desk loudly. The clatter attracted the attention of the larger kids in the EAT Class. Garrett was cowering, and suddenly, the classrooms' atmosphere changed.

Cold, calculative, disdain, just like the look in Kanaya's eyes.

He never felt so much relief in his life. Black hair, swooping in like a hawk, sharp eyes, snapping up the fish. The bullies never bothered him again, but once more, kind hands opened up to bring him back from the hole he was stuck in. The rut keeping him from rising.

His heart soared above the rest. Sage watched as Garrett departed from his class. Tears had rolled down his cheeks as he realized that the effort was worth it. Although he wouldn't see his beloved professor as much, he would see Kanaya. See her smile, every day.

That alone was enough.

_The two open palms are always on his mind. He opens his palms for others to grab, for others to raise themselves out of their own little ditches, for them to spread their wings and soar, just like he did._

* * *

**A/N:** Basically, this is what I meant by "backstories of the characters" fillers. Although it's better to fit it all into the story, I thought this would be a fun way to introduce and kind of help you guys learn more about other characters and flesh them out more. It was easy to do Garrett, since he's my student OC, so I'm just using this as an example.

Basically, you guys can just PM me a part of their past you want me to expand on, or I'll randomly pick an aspect and use my authoress powers and craft a little filler drabble thing. :D


	11. 8- losing boy

**A/N:** Heeeelllo~ Nothing really to say this time, besides the fact that I'm happy I'm really interested in writing this story and knowing you guys are as well! Although some of the people that have submitted OCs seem to...not be reading? Or something? Makes me a little miffed. Spent so much time fleshing them out too…. *mutters* Does anyone ever read the A/Ns?

To **TheWalkingGnome**: Garrett is super fabulous! I'm pretty sure almost everyone has something going on at some point~ And I agree, Amatsuki's pretty messed up, I guess I could say. Seems like everyone is mostly saying a family member, but I'll keep quiet about that 'cause saying anything would change your mind a lot about the poor professor. I think everyone's a little torn about who to call their favorite pairing :P

To **Original509**: It's alright! Fabulous! Sage is like a little boy when it comes to fighting...sometimes… I'll leave it at that. I'd ship all of them as BrOTPs :P *gasp* Serious guesses? I'm blessed! But here's a hint to the mission: finding someone or something :3 Don't worry about the length of your reviews, the longer the better~

To **AlphaDave:** Thanks! Rawr back :P It's a shame I didn't do a canon-verse Soul Eater fic, maybe I'll try that next time. *catches muffin* I love muffinsnomnom

To **sco23**: Thanks, as always!

To **Soul and Heart**: That's fine, no need for apologies. Madness all affects us in different ways, and probably some people are more susceptible to it. The effects of it, though, are still unknown...to you guys at least. :P Mino being Corrupted is part of her backstory though, so that will be revealed later~ Sage and Iris are probably like the mismatched pair that sometimes spars together. Risket is a weapon, actually… Shhh~  
Well, if Garrett's that fabulous now, it means that Kanaya and Sage really did a number on his confidence, in a good way!  
Thank you!

To **Precious Cow:** Thanks, I agree. Well, most of the professors as well as what Shinigami-sama did in those 10~13 years after Asura's awakening. You might be right on that~ I'm glad you like, almost all of them! :P

To **petit vanille:** XDD I'm squealing every time I write the cute parts, trust me. Are you _that_ type?! PM me :) Kidding! I'm trying to fit as much in this fic as I can, but sometimes, I think it might be too much… I guess I'm reassured by all these reviews that I'm not doing a bad job~ STOP THE FEELS IM SORRYYYYY

Anyway! I'm sorry if it seems sloppier than usual...Ugh... Like always, I don't own anything except for my own OCs and maybe this storyline. Enjoy~

Edit: There won't be an update this Sunday, unfortunately... My finals and SATs are really taking a toll on me, so sorry for the no-update!

* * *

**.**

**.**

"E-excuse me?"

Raymond timidly knocked on the door to the treatment section. In his other hand, he clutched the bouquet of sunflowers that he had bought earlier closer to his chest. Risket kind of put him off a little; he wasn't sure if it was the gray eyes that eerily reminded him of his sister's or because of his slightly unemotional demeanor.

The door swung open and a frazzled-looking Risket stood by. With closer examining, he realized that there was a yellow ring on the outside of those unnerving gray eyes... "Oh. Raymond, come in," the doctor waved his hand and let go of the door. "Close the door behind you though. I think Aden's just waking up."

The redheaded boy eagerly scurried into the office, closing the door with the softest click. He turned around quickly, a flush of red on his cheeks. He wasn't sure why he was feeling so jumpy and he took several deep breaths before following the doctor.

Raymond clutched the sunflowers tighter until the shiny paper was almost completely crushed in his grasp.

"Aden?" The doctor called, then motioned for the other boy to step into the partitioned section of the office. Risket, with a pause, closed the curtains behind the slightly nervous red-haired boy.

On the bed, the blonde boy was propped up on a couple of well-placed pillows, maybe because of Iris. To Raymond, the doctor didn't seem like the type to bother with things like comfort. His eyes were half-lidded, slightly open, but when Raymond inched towards the empty chair by the bed, Aden looked up dreamily.

"R-raymond?" His voice was impeccably soft and the twitch of his hand made the young redhead sit down quickly and grab the vase. "It's...good to see you again…"

"Hey, don't stress yourself out okay?" Raymond had noticed Aden's hand attempting to grab at the flowers to put them in the vase, but the he snatched the other boy's hand and shoved it back under the blanket. "I'll do that…"

"It's nice...You always bring nice flowers," the blonde murmured and laid back down on the sheets. The tilted sunlight shone on his face so that the shadows of his lashes elongated. The redhead blinked, staring at Aden's face, but then quickly shook himself, going back to transferring the sunflowers into the vase. Oddly enough, the gardenias had already started to wilt, but only the ones closer to Mino's partition.

Raymond frowned slightly.

He pulled out the yellowing flowers and gently slipped the sunflowers into the vase. Then he panicked slightly, staring into the vase to see if it needed a water change, but the water was midway and clear.

"Thanks for visiting," Aden turned his head, smiling at the red-haired boy with closed eyes. "It makes me happy to know...someone cares…"

After placing the vase back on the desk, Raymond leaned closer to his friend, brushing a stray strand of hair out of the boy's face. "I'm your friend, aren't I?"

Aden's hazel eyes opened, the usual brightness dulled from weakness and the medicine circulating his system. "Oh...yeah…" He turned away, back to facing the ceiling. "Friends…" The way he seemed to unfocus was vaguely uncomfortable to Raymond. It was like looking at a different person that the guy he had seen a couple days ago.

"H-hey," Raymond tried to distract the blonde boy. "Do you know when you'll be out?"

The bedridden young man twisted his face slightly, before replying, "Doctor said about a week. I'm still...sluggish."

"I can see that," the redhead patted Aden on the soft puff of blonde hair that stuck out from the bedhead he was sporting. "You look like a little kid, all wrapped up in those sheets."

The blonde just eyed him quietly. "Really, now? I guess another childish thing to say...I want my green turtleneck back. It's cold." A small pout formed on his face and Raymond grinned slightly with an exhale. Sometimes the blonde really could be a child.

"If you want, I'll get it for you—"

"Would you really?"

Aden's eyes widened and his pout turned into a childish smile. "It's from my father and I really like it, so…" His hand covered his mouth. "Oh, what am I saying…" He trailed off awkwardly and Raymond just laughed quietly.

"It's okay, I'll be back in a bit, then."

The red-haired boy drew back the heavy curtains and glanced back once. The dimming sunlight shone over the resting sickly boy, illuminating him in a bright orange color. His blonde hair almost looked like it was on fire, brilliantly alive, and his skin was a glowing shade of orange.

"I'll be back in a bit, Doctor," Raymond bowed quickly to the gray-haired man still sitting in his rolly chair. Risket raised a hand in farewell, before going back to his work. Heading out of the office, just as the young man opened the door, he suddenly bumped into two people that were about to open the door from the other side.

A purple suit, a ruffled dress, white hair, the redhead blinked, before stepping to the side. "U-um, sorry! I didn't—"

"It's alright," the white-haired man smiled softly and gently maneuvered the little girl around Raymond. "If you'll excuse us…"

Just as quickly as he moved out of the way, the small young man bowed his head slightly with wide eyes and scampered his way out of the sickbay.

Art patted Muse on her shoulder, making her look up at him with round, lavender eyes. "Make sure you greet him nicely and ask how he's doing, okay?"

The white-haired girl pouted and nodded, "I know, I know…"

He smiled wider, before ushering her towards Risket. The doctor glanced over, watching the two head towards him.

"Hello," Art waved slightly and Muse bounded towards the labcoat-sporting man.

"Uncle, Uncle, how is your arm?" The girl smiled widely, hopping onto Risket's lap. The doctor was taken by surprise and nearly jumped up, if it weren't for the weight on his legs. She clambered over his body slightly, nosing at the bandages on his arm like a small animal. "It looks better, right?"

Her guardian chuckled softly. "Don't climb all over Doctor like that, he might get hurt again trying to get you off."

Risket tossed a glare towards Art. "I'm not a glass cage, in case you didn't know."

"Of course not," the white-haired man smiled, but the doctor didn't know whether or not to take it as a genuine apology or just mockery. It was vague when it came to the constantly smiling, constantly calm male.

"Will a kiss make the pain go away? Those bandaids aren't pretty, you know," Muse piped up. "Art always tells me that it works and it works _allll_ the time when he kisses me because he's really special!" She leaned over Risket's arm and pecked at it with a childish grin, but it faded when the bandages were still there.

"Muse," the white-haired man gently lifted her off of the doctor's lap and Risket inhaled sharply. He was starting to lose circulation in his legs. Muse had really put on some weight from the food Shibusen provided… "It only works between us, okay? I need to have some words with Doctor, so go play by the door."

The little girl provided no resistance and eagerly bounded away.

Art turned towards Risket. "No lasting damage? I wasn't sure of my power level when we sparred, honestly. I'm…" He looked at his hands curiously. "Not sure how strong I am, still."

The doctor coughed and leaned back slightly. "Trust me, you're plenty strong. I didn't get infected with whatever blood you have, though, if that's what you meant by lasting damage."

Purple eyes looked doubtful, but his mouth opened, "That's...good. I know that Muse and I...are considered a danger to Shibusen."

Risket replied, "That's been established for a while, yes."

"Are you sure it's safe for us to be taking a part of the classes? Wouldn't it be better...to lock us up?" Art's voice significantly dropped. "If any of the students found out, I'm sure we would be hated. But I'm of no use to you. Even I don't know anything about...anything. It was as if I was a child when I first woke up."

The doctor was silent for a moment and his eyes glanced at the curtain separating them from his current patients. "With an honest mind, if Shinigami-sama allows it, it should be fine. Out of all of us, he handles the Kishin's better because he has the experience. If there are any troubles, he will be the first to know."

Purple eyes flashed angrily. "What if we endanger everyone by suddenly changing?"

Risket glared at Art and cocked his head towards Aden and Mino's resting areas. "Lower your voice. They'll hear. No guarantees they'll remember, but we can't take any chances."

"Sorry." The white-haired male shrunk slightly, looking off to the side.

"And," Risket began, attracting Art's attention again. "Why are you so concerned about our safety? Aren't you...supposed to be the 'bad guys?'" Casually, with those stinging words, the gray-haired man adjusted his round glasses, staring eye-to-eye with a furious purple gaze.

"Is it just because of the silly prophecy you heard?" True to his word, Art's voice was quiet, but it was sharp, like the edge of a blade. "That we must be the antagonists?"

"Of course," Risket commented, turning away from the young man. "_Kishins_ are the embodiment of Madness, after all."

"Don't you _dare_ turn away from me!" Art's suddenly loud voice made even Muse look up concernedly. The doctor swiveled his chair back and stared at the livid, pale-skinned male with bored eyes.

"What did you want?"

He was silent for a moment, before speaking in a strained voice, "If we're dangerous, chain us away."

Risket frowned, then replied, scratching his arm absentmindedly, "Why do you want so fervently to get locked up? People like you normally want to be free and escape this place."

"If you let her run amok, something is bound to happen. And you, as well as everyone else, will not like the results." Art's voice dropped to a cold minimum as he took a step forward towards the doctor. The tired man just tilted his head up to look him in the eyes. "I know it will happen, and so do you."

"Isn't it just a feeling you have?" Risket's quick reply had Art taking the steps back now. "I'm not the one to disobey Shinigami-sama. Tie yourselves back up, or aid in the effort to destroy the remaining enemies from the previous Kishin. Do whatever you want." The doctor stood up, the same height as the young man in front of him.

He jabbed a finger to Art's heart, almost nose-to-nose with the male now. "Do you not understand the strength of this?" Even from a finger, he could feel the dull thudding of the organ inside his chest. "If you're strong, you will overcome that Madness. It's as simple as that. I don't believe that _you're the Kishin_, even if you have Madness inside of you_._ Muse is, isn't she?"

Risket's gaze drifted towards the girl happily playing, tapping her fingers on the walls and imagining stories with all of her mind. "Take care of her. Go to class, Art."

Art didn't speak when he turned away. With unreadable purple eyes, he silently walked towards the door, gently grabbing Muse's hand and opening the door.

"A-Art, w-why—?"

"Muse, we're going."

The white-haired man left without another word and Risket only sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Feels like I'm the bad one here. Just following the rules 'cause _he_ won't let me not." He adjusted something on his desk.

The two sides of his desk were symmetrical and an unconscious smile surfaced on the doctor's face. "Nice."

**xxx**

Shinigami-sama stood in front of his mirror, the skull hiding his worried expression.

"Akatsuki, how is Amatsuki doing?" From the smooth surface of the mirror, the neat-haired professor's face rippled slightly as he opened his mouth to speak.

"We're in a safe spot so far. He's...alright, so far," Akatsuki murmured. His red eyes flitted to the side. "I would let you talk to him, but he's sleeping."

However, Shinigami-sama noticed the doubt in his voice.

"Is he stable?"

"He let go a little, when we encountered a Corrupt nest," the professor admitted. He shifted slightly to the right, then back.

"Do you need me to send Blake and Lisanna—"

"No!" Akatsuki burst out, but he blinked and muttered, "Sorry, sorry." The Death God let out a good-natured laugh.

"Is this because the last time Lisanna tried to—"

"Of course not, Shinigami-sama," the brown-haired professor deadpanned. "I know they're strong Death Scythes, but so are we. We can take care of ourselves, as long as we don't go overboard."

The black-cloaked God nodded his head in agreement. "I trust both of you to find out where she is, okay? I'll send word to the others about the situation."

Akatsuki had a small smile playing on his lips. "Thanks, Shinigami-sama."

Shinigami-sama tilted his head to the side questioningly.

"For letting me take care of him for once," the brown-haired man looked to the side, away from the eyeholes in the skull mask. "He's always protecting me, so..."

"No big deal, don't worry. Keep him in check! I'll call you later to see how it's going," the Death God waved a large white hand around and with the wipe of the mirror, Akatsuki's face and upper body disappeared, leaving just the reflection of the black cloak that hid his body.

**xxx**

"Class, these are our new students," Sage called, patting Art and Muse on the shoulder.

Mutters went through the desks, at seeing a girl of barely 11 and a man that looked 20 entering their class together.

"Make sure you take good care of them." The professor adjusted his rounded glasses and then continued, "How about you tell them about yourselves?"

Muse quickly took initiative with a smile that melted the hearts of most of the people present.

"Hi! My name is Muse and I think I'm eleven years old. I like my older brother, Art, a lot and I think he's really cool! Please give me sweet and beautiful things to eat!" The last sentence made people burst out laughing and the little girl joined in as well.

"Ah, my name is Art. And as she said," he rubbed the top of Muse's head fondly. "I'm her older brother. I am a weapon as well as a meister. Please take care of me." The class erupted in applause and Sage pointed at the empty seats beside John and Min.

"Go ahead and sit over there, we can do some introductions later," the black-haired professor directed and then shifted some papers around.

"I've got a couple of announcements of missions available, so whoever's really eager to hunt some Corrupted Human ass, come get the mission papers here. Some of them are...Nests, though, so less experienced pairs shouldn't take those," he gestured to the newly sorted pile. "I'll be right back, need to check on something with Risket."

He left a lingering glance on the white-haired pair on the right side of the room.

The second he closed the door, Lin scrambled over to greet the new students. With a bright smile on her face, she stuck her hand out for a handshake.

"Art, Muse, I'm Aislin Emers, but just call me Lin," she chirped and her grin widened when both of them took their turns to shake her hand. "My meister is that silly guy...over there in the chokehold."

From across the room, Taeyang was being choked by a very angry Chiyoko. "I'm gonna make you PAY for all that cleaning time you put me through! Apartment still smells shitty, you know!" But the black-haired boy was having trouble breathing because he was both being semi-suffocated but also because he was laughing too hard.

Youya was watching in the corner with a concerned look on his face.

"C-chiyo—"

"No, Youya, shut up! This guy needs his punishment of NO AIR!"

Petra raucously laughed in the background, at both Taeyang's situation and at Adeline's predicament. Somehow, the silverette had managed to piss off Wyatt, which was amazingly rare.

"N-no, of course you're not cute...Well, maybe a little, but STILL! Um, can I say that other people are cuter than you?" Her yelps only made Petra clench her fists and double over, face reddening.

The long-haired blond stalked his meister into the corner with an oddly sadistic smile on his face. He leaned in closer, eyes glinting, before whispering, "I am not cute and that's final." Adeline nodded her head rapidly, her hazel eyes wide with apprehension.

Echo stood up, gently putting the bookmark into her book, and headed towards Lin, who was still talking about her group of friends.

"Pardon, but I'd like to introduce myself?" The purplette said, tapping the taller auburn girl on the shoulder.

"O-oh! Echo! S-sorry!" Lin exclaimed and literally jumped out of the way with a sheepish smile.

The shorter girl didn't say anything to the auburn-haired girl, but instead bowed slightly to recognize the two. "My name is Echo Blasinger. Pleased to meet you."

"Likewise," Art bent his head slightly and when Echo turned to Muse, the younger girl bounced up and down.

"I remember you! Big Sister Echo who lost her locket!" Muse pointed a pale finger at the purplette. The way the girl bounced up and down and side to side made the purplette crack a small smile.

"Yes, I am," With a gentle motion, Echo ruffled Muse's neat hair, making Art frown.

From faraway, a sleepy-eyed Himi stared at the back of Art's head thoughtfully. Although at first glance he was beautiful, she got creepy vibes from him now. Turning slightly, she glanced at the profile of her weapon. Itsu was bent over a book, his dark brown eyes skimming over the pages quickly. He had removed the veil that shadowed his mouth normally, but no one noticed, except Himi.

With a small smile, she laid her head down, watching her childhood friend enjoy himself. He made her comfortable wherever, so it made her happy to see him comfortable...

But before she could fall asleep, the door to the classroom swung open again, and Sage shuffled back in, with multiple folders in his hands.

"No one got the mission papers?" He sounded vaguely surprised. "Oh...speaking of which, where's Garrett and Kanaya?"

No one really knew, which was strange.

Raymond piped up, looking oddly alone at the table without his blonde-haired friend, "I think they're on a mission. This morning, they were rushing out of the dorms with cloaks on, so..."

"Ah," Sage nodded. "Can't be helped. I've got the information for each of these missions, but honestly, I don't wanna teach and I'm sure you guys know everything so I'm gonna be putting this stuff on the boards, alright?"

He shook his head, almost making the round glasses bounce off his nose. Then with an annoyed sigh, he took off again.

"Freedom!" All of the students chorused and some took off immediately. Who was left in the classroom was the quietest pair, John and Min, and Art and Muse.

"Hmmm," the little girl swung her legs back and forth on the bench she sat on. "Art?"

"Yes, we're leaving in a moment," the young man replied, reading through a lightweight brochure he pulled from his bag.

A sudden tap garnered Muse's attention. When she turned, she saw an older girl with white hair just like hers, but with slanted, ice-blue eyes.

"You look like you could do with some color," Min said. In her hands was a red ribbon, silky and long. "May I tie it in your hair?"

Muse's eyes sparkled. "Yes! It's so pretty!" She turned around and Min's hands stroked her white hair, parting the sides to tie the ribbon. The red band passed over her bangs and parted her hair into two sides, the bow in the middle.

As Min worked, she spoke, "My name is Min. I'm a weapon under the usage of my meister, Johnathan...He's back there...And done."

Muse spin around with a cheerful giggle. "Is it pretty on me? I think it looks wonderful!" She clasped her hands together and pulled on Art's arm.

"Look, Art. Min gave me a ribbon!" The white-haired man looked up sharply, but his eyes softened.

"It's cute," he replied, and to Min, who was heading back towards John, he said, "Thanks for the warm welcome."

She paused, then replied, "It's not a problem."

The classroom was met with a comfortable silence that broke when John and Min left to do their own duties. Art shuffled in his bag and pulled out several, slightly crumpled papers.

"Muse, we need to work on your weapon form."

**xxx**

"Men are useless trash," a scathing, feminine voice spat.

A man was thrown to the ground mercilessly. His hay-colored hair was long and messy, most of it darkened from blood and grime. His face was covered in bruises and dirt that hid scars.

From above him, a slender figure sat in a throne, draped in black veils and smelling of faint, exotic perfumes, her nails vividly red, like the spots of blood dotting the floor.

"You can never replicate the beauty of a woman, Fallow. Leave my premises, you failed experiment," the disdain clear in her voice. Her leg kicked out and pushed the beat-up man several feet, but he coughed out blood. She had hit his stomach.

With a rattling cough, he stood up, swaying erratically from the effort. The clothes he wore weren't even clothes, just rags sewed together.

"I promise...I will send someone for your head, you witch," Fallow muttered with the last of his vocal strength and then hobbled off, revenge clear in his mind.

**.**

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**A/N:** I'm really tired. And I feel like I need to actually work on the drawings? DDDD: I'm sorry I haven't started on them, finals make me busyyyyy. *muted screaming*

The questions for this part are: What's Muse's weapon form gonna be? Who are the two mysterious people introduced at the very end? Are you prepared for waterworks? :D

As always, review to make Vis a happy camper!


	12. 9- incertus

**A/N:** Ah well, I decided I would get this out to you guys. It's a little shorter than before, but I think I got the gist of it. I didn't proofread it soooo if there are serious errors, just let me know and I'll fix them. This chapter wasn't...waterworks...kind of. I dunno, it just deals with pain and triggers, so if you're susceptible, be warned...I won't say anything more to spoil it though!

To **Proudhollow**: Ah, it's no problem. More reviews makes me a little happier and a little more inclined to write faster, is all. Thanks, I'm trying my best xD Hope you enjoy this one as well!

To **TheWalkingGnome**: Your long reviews are so entertaining, so don't worry. I'm glad someone reads them, so my hard work doesn't go to waste~ I'm glad you ship them? I really like Aden and Raymond together, whether they're friends or lovers, but we'll see how this proceeds, hm? And every time I write them together, I squeal, so you're not alone. Yes! Title drop! The first one at least. There is more than one "glass cage?" Of course, but we'll leave that to the later chapters to explain. But I can't say anything about Art and Muse, or else that'll spoil the chapter after this one.  
Risket does like symmetry, but is it really Risket liking symmetry, or something else? Hm…  
Well. Maybe your gut was right… *shifty eyes* Or is it Kanaya?  
In this, I'll give you a straight answer, then. Yes, the woman is involved with the third group, but I won't reveal her intentions or what's driving her.  
*raises hands* Sorry for killing you! XDD Glad you're looking forward to this one. Enjoy!

To **petit vanille:** IUNNO YOU TELL MEEEEE. And yes, Art is really scary when he's mad, I agree. I suppose you could see it like that, but aren't we all a little crazy? I'm hURTING TOO OKAY I WANT TO TELL YOU GUYS ABOUT THE PLOT BUT I CAAAAAN'T!  
Most of your questions are wayyy too far in the chapters to tell you of anything, ask better questions! Kidding.  
You tend to hang with just your friends, so I'm glad you caught on that aspect I tried to show. Not everyone is friends with each other, you know…  
Yes, Muse is definitely a large, white crayon…. XDD I agree the lady gives everyone creepy vibes; red fingernails are the staple for scary, big ladies. AND PREPARE THE TISSUE!

To **Original509**: FREE! FREE! *chants and runs around in circles* Something like that, I guess. Or maybe Art's just lying and he's really just the Kishin and tricking everyone. THROW CHAIRS, CHEER, DO IT ALL. IT'S PROBABLY WHAT YOU'RE THINKING ANYWAY, BUT NOT IN THAT WAY.  
New meat Death Scythes! They'll cameo a little later, and those pesky-sibling questions will, as promised, be answered later. Near the end, maybe… Lin is a cute noob, I want to squish her cheeks XD Echo and Min both would be great older sisters~ She may or may not…We'll see! AND I'LL TEST THE FRAGILITY OF THOSE SUNGLASSES MWAHAHAHA-*shot*

As always, I don't own anything except my own OCs and this plot! Enjoy!

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**.**

**.**

_I'm just a little concerned,_ Sage told himself, rubbing his unruly locks. His glasses slipped down and hastily, he folded them up and slipped them into his pocket. _They were both cold as ice… Were they supposed to be like that?_

Slipping through the door to the sickbay and barely glancing at the curtains, he knocked on the closed door of Risket's office. "Hey, Risket, can I come in?"

The grunt he could hear from the other side was affirmative enough and with a click, he entered the separate room. The gray-haired doctor lazily spun around in his chair with a bored expression. "What's going on, Sage?" Risket asked, his monotone voice stable.

"It's just about the Kishin and her...guardian of sorts," the black-haired professor scanned the room. As usual, it was neat, expected of the doctor. "Are they supposed to be...that cold? And...they're really...how do I put it...? Human."

The doctor was silent, tilting his head from side to side. But Sage knew those movements; he'd been exposed to the man long enough to know several of his most used habits when it came to speaking. They were always weird, since Risket's face never really showed anything more than annoyance, boredom, or sadistic amusement.

"I suppose," the man finally replied, sighing, his shoulders slumping. "It's not like I've had much experience with Kishins. And I also have no idea why they aren't completely mad. It's jarring, so I know where you're coming from."

Sage was quiet, but nodding. It was understandable.

"Sorry for the bother, then," the professor remarked, shuffling backwards. "I'll be taking my leave, thanks for the help, Risket."

"Oh, wait."

The black-haired man stopped with a start, eyeing the doctor widely. He watched as the labcoat-wearing male shuffled in the drawers of his desk, muttering to himself. In several moments, he straightened back up, folders gripped tightly in his hands.

"These are Shinigami-sama's private information folders, okay, Sage?" Risket stared at him with _that_ look in his eyes.

"I'm not gonna lose them?!" Sage wailed out, breaking the peace that resided in the sickbay. "God, that was once, will you let it go? It was a while back too!" So wrapped up in his regret, the professor didn't notice the amused smile that passed over the doctor's face.

Sage stretched his hands out and Risket handed the folders to him.

"Hopefully you got it. They're the analyses I got from the siblings and about the recent increase in Corrupted Nests," the gray-haired man said, leaning back in his chair, the brief grin replaced with a relaxed line of a mouth. "See you later, then. You should check on the students for me."

"Got it," the professor signed a thumbs-up and closed the door with a soft click. He briefly peeked his head into the first compartment area where Mino was sleeping.

Her face was smooth, peaceful-looking without a smile, but her body was swathed up in fluffy, white sheets. Her black-hair was spread all around her face, the only real contrast between her pale skin and the comforters. From the light shining in, something glinted at her neck and Sage noticed it was half of a dragon.

But she looked fine, all snuggled up happily, so he didn't try to wake her.

Sage moved onto the next curtain parting. Aden was there, sleeping just like Mino. His blonde hair was terribly messy and most of his hair was in his face. Unlike the girl in the next bed, he was turned on his side, clutching a green turtleneck close to his face. A smile graced his lips as his eyebrows twitched slightly.

The professor stifled the bubbling of laughter at the blonde's unconscious movements, until his eyes landed on the vase of sunflowers.

Its yellow petals almost illuminated the room when the sunlight hit the surface. They were quite beautiful, but Sage shivered and with a start, he looked at the clock hanging on the wall.

"Ah, I should get back… They seem to be fine anyway," he muttered quietly and closed the curtains again.

**xxx**

"Are you sure it's her? Last time was a false alarm," Garrett grumbled, pulling on his cloak hurriedly. Lack of sunlight in the morning didn't suit the male well. The purple-haired girl glared daggers at him and he visibly flinched.

"That time was Risket's fault! I know...I know she's close this time!" She clenched her fists tighter. "...If I can bring her back..."

The black-haired male said nothing and only tugged on her hand with an incomprehensible look in his eyes. "C'mon, we'll lose her at this rate. Don't forget she's killed before, okay? We've gotta focus." He casually grabbed her head and bonked his forehead against hers. "Let's go."

His hand was warm, just as warm as it was when they first met, and she wanted to smile, but she fought the urge down.

Instead, Kanaya nodded and they exited the dilapidated motel room they had shared for the day. The owner eyed them as they left, but the pair didn't spare him a look.

They were in the outskirts of Death City, where the alleys were the dirtiest and the people were not the most pleasant to talk to. Most of them milled about, their heads down and eyes focused on their own walking feet. Here, people minded their own business, even if meant another's death, completely unlike the area around Shibusen.

The differences between the interior and exterior of the metropolis showed even in the weather. Rain was pouring from the heavens today, so Garrett pulled his hood over his head with a frown. Gray clouds swirled above their heads, but even from a distance, he could see the clearing of them closer to the lavishly decorated school. Beside him, Kanaya left her hood down, the rain soaking into her skin and hair, plastering the purple locks to her face.

"Hey, how come you aren't…" He trailed off as he followed her line of sight.

They hadn't walked a foot outside their temporary lodging and they had already found a dead man.

His feet were peeking out cautiously from the alleyway in front of them. The darkness seemingly clung to his body, but even the people traversing the very same path that he laid on didn't bat an eyelash at seeing the cold, grayish body laying on the ground. Instead, they stepped around it, even on his body, as if he was just a piece of trash.

The purple-haired girl dashed towards the man, pushing several trenchcoat-donning people out of her way.

"K-Kanaya!" Garrett ran after her, his eyebrows creased. "Hold it!"

But she kept running until she got to the man. Rain rolled down her cheeks, almost like tears, as she stood over the mutilated body. His jaw had been ripped past its joints and from his ear to the sides of his mouth, it looked like a child had used a pair of scissors to cut on the dotted lines that lined his face.

If a person looked at him from faraway, he'd have looked like an abandoned scarecrow.

"I told you she was here," the girl spat and she toed the body to the side. Someone large brushed beside her and she turned to glare at the person, but they were long gone, a black coat among black coats. "She can't be far away."

Garrett pulled out a cloth in his pack and unfolded it to cover the corpse of the man. The thin rag was quickly soaked through and clung to the body beneath it, making the black-haired male look away quickly. When he ran to catch up with his weapon, he could almost feel the waves of discontent and annoyed aura from Kanaya, so he decided not to speak.

"Ugh, I hate that little messed-up shit that made Amaya who she is," Kanaya spat. "He should just die—"

"How many times have I told you that it wasn't his fault?" Garrett felt a dark emotion welling up within him. He was sure his weapon was wrong in saying that and his gut never told him lies when it came to his friends' intentions. "Kanaya, you need to realize that it's her fault that she started to kill innocent people! She's not the same person—"

She whirled around, her purple eyes flashing angrily. Stomping back to him, her lips were pressed together into a frowning line.

"Can't you just open your eyes for once? He was definitely in the wrong!" Kanaya screamed, and despite the screeching of her voice, no one even glanced the pair's way. "It was like that from the start, I know it! He only liked the pretty girls anyway!"

Garrett recoiled, his face contorted with both pain and pity. There was no trace of a smile on either of their faces, but that was the case whenever _she_ was brought up.

"Suit yourself," the black-haired boy tilted his chin up, his blue eyes as cold as ice. "We'll split up to look for him then. I can't possibly work with you if you keep wrongly accusing him of something he didn't do." He turned away and strode off without so much as a glance backwards, the worn cloak disappearing among the sea of brown coats.

Under normal circumstances, Kanaya would've ran to apologize, but she only bit her lip harder, tasting the coppery taste of blood.

"What a stupid guy," she muttered. "How can he be so blind?"

As she continued her way meandering through the crowds, at one point, she realized the amount of people on the streets were thinning. The purplette's nerves spiked up and her eyes flitted from side to side, hoping for familiarity. But she was in the middle of nowhere, a place she had never been to, on a cat-and-mouse chase for someone that she used to know.

_She's not the same person…_ Garrett's words echoed in her head...

Taking a look around, there were various people sitting next to the walls of buildings, taking shelter underneath roofs and they eyed her. Some were curious stares, while others were downright hostile.

Kanaya took several steps back, but suddenly, there was something behind her and she stumbled with a yelp.

"Hey girlie, lost the _boy you were with?_" The low, gravelly voice made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. The hulk of a man behind her leered at the smaller girl with black eyes. "Good thing ya did, ya know, I wanted to have some fun with ya...He looked like he was just'n eyesore…"

Despite her anger towards her meister, Kanaya still shot back angrily, "He was not an eyesore. You're the eyesore right now."

"Hey, hey," the male advanced towards her, the lecherous grin not fading a bit. "Tha's a bit mean, sweetie, don'tcha think?" Without even breaking eye contact with the purplette, his hand slipped into the pocket of his unbuttoned coat and she felt her body tense up. There was definitely a weapon there.

"Le's have some fun," The man suddenly grabbed her shoulder and she cried out, the male's other hand holding a knife. "Don't _ya dare_ try to get away, or this," he poked her side with the glisteningly sharp weapon, "will go straight into ya."

Kanaya rolled her eyes. "Just a pocketknife? Who do you take me as?"

"Huh?" The guy looked confused, until he crossed his eyes to stare at the point of a sword. "W-what?!"

He jumped backwards with a choked gasp, but he quickly recovered and jerked his head to the side. "C'mon, boys."

From each side, two males with the same bulky build as the first stomped their way to approach Kanaya.

"What's the use of having all of your cronies back you up? To kidnap a girl like me?" The purple-haired girl couldn't help but sneer, her previous anger resurfacing more furiously than before. Despite the need to tilt her head up to look at her opponents in the eye, each one of them felt a shiver down their spine when they looked at the sword protruding from her tattered sleeve. "_Worse than scum_."

"Get her!"

At the speed of lightning, Kanaya kicked the man behind her in the chest, throwing him backwards into a wall. However, behind her, the four others bullrushed her, their heavy footsteps sending water scattering from the puddles of rain. She swiftly ducked and looped a leg around one and her arm around another, yanking them down to faceplant into the ground.

The other two, however, were more observant and had managed to grab their own respective weapons in the time it took for her to disable their friends.

One of them swung a bat, while the other grunted with a rather large stick. Despite the number advantage, both of them hesitated to attack.

But the purplette wasn't afraid at all. A cool smirk spread over her face at the prospect of battle.

"You scared?" She narrowed her eyes with a condescending look, hoping to taunt them into rushing her, and to her glee, they both charged, howling with anger.

The man on the right swung the bat once he came into range, but Kanaya shifted to the side, grabbing his arm with her left hand and transforming her right hand back, she gripped him solidly and with a grunt, hauled him over into his other friend who was paralyzed with fear.

The purplette grinned confidently, dusting off her hands and shoulders. "What a waste of my time...Pathetic."

She pulled on her cloak to fasten the loose article back to her shoulder, but as she did, a chill ran down her spine. Turning her head back from where she came from, she narrowed her eyebrows with the grin slipping off her lips.

"What…"

No doubt about it, the wavelength that was emanating from the area was _hers_. _Amaya's_...

Her sister was near.

**xxx**

In less than a few minutes, his anger had dissipated. The black-haired meister wasn't the type to get mad at people for more than a few hours. He couldn't find it in his heart to rage on anyone, especially his weapon.

However, it didn't change his current situation.

With a terrible sense of direction, it didn't take very long for Garrett by himself to realize he was lost in the maze of criss-crossing alleyways and divulging paths. With a rueful sigh, he tugged on his cloak.

"The rain's not gonna let up soon, is it?" The rhetorical question slipped out of his mouth before he could realize that Kanaya wasn't with him, and that she would not answer.

"I don't think it will."

Startled, the black-haired male jumped up and spun around.

"...Y-you…" Garrett blinked and almost tripped backwards.

The purple-haired girl in front of him smiled, her smart blazer jacket stained with red and her skirt dirtied. She advanced towards the black-haired male with the plastic expression on her face, cheerfully speaking, "Don't tell me you've forgotten...I'm Kuroki-nee's sister, you know? _Kanaya Amaya._"

"I'd never forget…" He managed to whisper out.

It was clear she had killed several before their meeting, as both her arms and cheeks were stained with red. "How's my meister doing?"

The conversation was as light as if she were talking to an acquaintance about the weather. It looked like she was just another student at Shibusen, not a person that had killed several people and made a name for herself at the large school.

Amaya still looked so human, and a lot like her sister. They had the same color of hair and eyes, the deep purple that Garrett thought was bewitchingly beautiful. However, the difference between the two was the fire that burned within them. While Kanaya had a blazing burn in her eyes, Amaya had none; it was an empty, cold purple that made the male shudder.

However, unlike her sister, months without haircuts made Amaya's hair reach her mid-waist, the purple hue discolored into a purplish-black by flecks of mud and unwashed blood.

"Well?" She cocked her head and placed a hand on her hip. The smile was still the same.

"He's good…"

At the mention of her meister, her facial features suddenly relaxed and the plastic smile dissolved into an almost genuine one. "Ah, good! I've missed him a lot...I wonder if he has a new weapon."

Cautiously, Garrett didn't speak. He wasn't sure what would blow her up.

"As if he could move on!" Amaya cheerfully stated, bouncing on her heels slightly. "He must still be pining for me...I have to gather enough souls to get stronger for him, you know."

The black-haired male couldn't help but blurt out, "But why? He accepted you for who you were!"

The purplette's expression changed in a snap. The cheerful look in her eyes was replaced by a more condescending gaze and she sneered at him like a stupid child. "I think you're mistaken now. _I_ was the one that wasn't strong enough and even if he said those words, I was never strong enough. He deserved better."

Garrett couldn't speak, paralyzed with something akin to fear, as she advanced towards him. The shadows grew longer as she casually headed forwards, her eyes never leaving his.

"It was always about how wonderful Kuroki-nee was," Amaya snarled as her fists clenched. "I was nothing like her and _he_ deserved better than me. When he looked at me, all I could see was disgust, even if the words he was saying were kind. It always felt like I wasn't good enough! _Do you even know how that feels?!_"

Despite her question, she continued, her angry gaze softening into a vulnerable look. Her hands shifted to grab onto her elbows as if she were shivering, receding into herself. Her voice was barely above the pattering of the rain, but Garrett could hear her as clear as day.

"I wanted to get better for _Taeyang_. He was so skilled, so talented, and I was the one that was bringing him down...There were no other options...Every day, I was compared to Kuroki. Always 'why aren't you as strong as her?' 'how come you're so weak?' 'this is all you've got? Kuroki is better!' They couldn't see me as a person, but he did!" She burst out in one breath. Her cheeks were flushing, despite the cold rain soaking her body. "He did…"

Amaya looked up, closing her eyes, before falling to her knees, dirty water and mud coating the dark leggings she wore. "He never said a thing...But I was so disappointed in myself...I wanted to be stronger than her. Than my sister…"

Her hands found their way to her face, covering her eyes as she screamed. "She was always the best sister! Strong, fast, radiant, beautiful, that's how they all described her! And me?!"

The purplette took a shaky breath in and Garrett felt himself walking towards her, his heart clenching painfully. He had never looked at it on her side...Perhaps she just needed a chance…

"I was the failure of a sister. It was to be expected...she was a claymore and what am I? A useless pair of scissors...She was always on the spotlight; I just wanted a chance to see that light…" Amaya's voice cracked, but her words were slightly muffled by her hands that were still pressed to her face.

"Amaya…" He murmured. He was closer to her now and the feeling of fear had disappeared a while ago after her speech. In his mind, he thought she was misunderstood and he could feel where she was coming from. Kanaya had stayed in the spotlight, while her little sister was cast away in the dark that came from the light.

When he was close enough, Garrett extended his hand, _exposing his palm, just like so many other times others had done the same for him_.

"Amaya, it's not too late—"

Before he could finish, sudden pain choked up his throat as he stared uncomprehendingly at Amaya's smiling face. Her eyes were a glowing, deranged red.

"WHaT a _FoOL _you were to believe mE..._PaTHeTIc!_"

From her forearm up, her limb had transformed into a pair of long scissor blades. When he tilted his head down, he finally realized where the pain was coming from.

She had stabbed straight through his _open_ hand and stomach.

**xxx**

Kanaya's breath was coming out in heavy pants as she ran to god-knows-which alleyway. She could feel her sister's wavelength so clearly she could almost taste it.

Escaping the predators from earlier, adrenaline was pumping through her veins, but the chill wasn't gone.

There was something definitely wrong and it had to do with Garrett as well.

Her heart was pumping overtime, the blood pounding in her ears like a consistent drum drowning out the rain's pattering. All of the alleys she checked in looked the same and the mutterings of the crowd didn't help her directionless mind. It all seemed to blur in front of her, but her gut told her to keep going and it was always right.

It told her to look right on the next alley. _Something_ told her to look left.

In that split second, Kanaya saw the young man she loved _fall to the ground, stained with red._

"No!"

The purplette screamed and Amaya's head tilted to look at her with a wide, crooked smile. The scissors that molded back into a hand were stained with the same color that spread on the muddy, wet ground. A deep, deep crimson.

"I'll be back for his soul later, _Kuroki-nee_." With those parting words, the Corrupted Human leapt up onto a rooftop and dashed away, but the purplette wasn't concerned in the slightest for her sister.

"GARRETT!"

**.**

**.**

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**A/N:** IM SORRY IM SORRY THEWALKINGGNOME YOU WERE RIGHT MAYBE LOOK AT THOSE GUT INSTINCTS! This wasn't really...waterworks...I guess? I mean, that cliffhanger though, that'll probably make you cry. Also, I'll probably change the rating to M after I put this chapter up...Hahaha… *dry laughter*

So the chapter-ly three questions are as follows!

-IS GARRETT GOING TO SURVIVE?! (by far the most pressing question, I think)  
-Was Amaya lying or were those words the truth?  
-Did Taeyang do anything wrong, or is Kanaya blindly talking about of her ass? (this question will….be answered in the next chapter, promise!)

Well. Thanks for reading… Please review, I love them all and your responses to my questions!

-**Vis**


	13. Filler 3: Kanaya Kuroki

**sometimes things get interrupted**

It was once just her sister. Kanaya Kuroki only loved her sister, out of all the people in the world. She was surrounded by people that adored her but her purple eyes trained on the person closest to her. _Amaya._

But her sister never once looked at her, and only looked forwards into the camera of the future. The future of being paired up with a meister.

Her dreams soared so far, "_I want to be with the strongest meister!" "I'll be the best weapon for him...or her…"_ Kuroki wanted those dreams to come true, but when it came time, she ranked higher than her sister. However, Amaya still managed to secure the spot of the best meister of the class. Taeyang Park and his cold attitude and cold eyes. Taeyang Park and his swoop of dark hair that captured many, many girls' hearts.

He was by far, the best student out of all of them in the classes.

He cared the most about perfection and hardly anyone saw him laugh.

Youya Touyu was not by his side when he was serious. But Amaya was.

Kuroki watched in horror as her sister slowly drifted away from her. All of her time was wrapped up with the male meister and she could only watch through the chainlink fence as they sparred. In the black-haired male's hand was a large pair of scissors, able to be separated into two blades. It was like watching a beautiful dance that ended with Taeyang standing mercilessly over whoever he was sparring with.

He always won.

At home, the only thing Amaya would talk about was how amazing Taeyang was and how she didn't deserve such an amazing meister.

"_He just gets me!" "It's amazing how smoothly he moves…" "We worked on Soul Resonance today, it was a strange feeling, but I feel safe if it's Taeyang." "Taeyang got a haircut today!" "I don't know if you know this, but I really like Taeyang…" "Do you think he thinks I'm pretty?" _

The words that once flowed out of her mouth were clearly gone. The Amaya she knew was surely gone. The name she called her, _Kuroki-nee_, was gone. Her name barely spilled from Amaya's lips now and perhaps that was the pain in her heart.

Amaya's world had grown bigger, while Kuroki's had stayed the small globe that it was. Just the two of them. Except there was a crack and soon, it would just be Kuroki.

But when did that change?

Kuroki saved Garrett and when she looked into those empty, blue eyes, she swore that she would save him. It was then that her world slowly inched past just her and her sister.

She found something to cling onto and she was no longer alone in that globe anymore.

In the same way that she saved him, he saved her.

_It wouldn't last…_

The words that were spoken between the sisters changed again, once Kanaya synchronized with Garrett. "_Ugh...I think I'm just bringing Taeyang down now…" "He's so kind to me that it's starting to hurt." "Do you think I'm useless? No, he's not saying it to me." "He tells me I'm perfect the way I am, but I don't think so…" "I want to be stronger…" "Kuroki-nee is so strong, and even though Garrett is lower ranked than Taeyang...both of you are stronger than me and Taeyang…"_

The purple eyes that once stared at Kuroki in adoration now glared at her with hatred.

Those were the last eyes she saw of her sister.

Then the report came in.

"_Termination of Kanaya Amaya in process, Corrupted Weapon #130, mission level priority: high. Escaped from Shibusen after the ingestion of a professor's soul."_


End file.
